Claymoss Properties have submitted a planning application to build four 125 metre high wind turbines plus associated infrastructure on Maer Hills. They have also previously announced plans for a holiday village comprising 800 lodges, two hotels, a golf course and shopping & leisure complex, which also included four wind turbines.

Newcastle Borough Council has given two scoping opinions to Claymoss; one for four wind turbines and the other for the holiday village etc. Following these Claymoss have submitted an Environmental Statement with their first planning application for the four 125 metre high wind turbines.

1. Traffic - The work to provide the infrastructure for the wind turbines will involve a very large number of vehicle movements for delivery of equipment, construction materials, including road stone, water tankers for the concrete plant and for the removal of waste water off site, etc.

   Traffic associated with any holiday village would create thousands of extra cars & goods vehicle journeys on the A53/A51 per week! This area already has one of the worst accident records in the country. How many more accidents and fatalities will there be with all this extra traffic?

2. Visual Impact - Imagine four wind turbines, four times taller than the existing Maer Hills repeater mast, all rotating with a diameter the size of a Jumbo Jet, dominating the landscape for miles around. Imagine the woodland views of Maer Hills devastated and lost forever as thousands of trees are felled to make way for concrete, buildings and roads.
3. Footpaths Amenity - Two of the proposed four wind turbines are situated very closely to public footpaths. The Newcastle Way actually passes beneath the blades of one of the turbines. One of the other turbines is even closer to a claimed public footpath.
   Click here to see the official Staffordshire County Council guide for the Newcastle Way.

   The pleasure of a tranquil country walk through an attractive woodland with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside will be totally lost.

4. Wildlife - Maer Hills sustains an abundance of wildlife. There is a healthy population of Badgers, Buzzards, Owls and Bats (not to mention an array of other species). Claymoss claim to be Eco-Friendly. This was not portrayed when they allowed motorbike scrambles to be held in Maer Hills causing devastation to flora and fauna. How much wildlife will really be left once the bulldozers move in?