ANTI-WIND FARM campaigners have accused developers of "underhand tactics" in their bid to build two major wind farms in the Marsh villages.
Both ASC and Partnership For Renewables have employed environmentalist campaigners to gather support for their applications to East Lindsey District Council from people in Louth.
This involves pro-wind farm campaigners stopping people in the streets and asking them to sign in favour of the applications – ASC's 8 x 115 metre turbines on land at Newton Marsh, Tetney and Partnership For Renewables' 3 x 113 metre high turbines at Louth Canal, North Thoresby.
But members of the newly- formed Marsh Windfarm Action Group (MWAG) say the tactics are "desperate".
They claim the hundreds of signatures in support of the applications should not influence a decision because they are not from local people and they will not be impacted by the wind farms if East Lindsey District Council give them the go-ahead.
MWAG frontman Melvin Grosvenor said: "Employing these tactics shows a distinct lack of confidence in what they are doing, to the point they have to pay lobbyists to go around Louth to convince people the scheme should go ahead. It smacks of desperation.
"The wind farm will be nowhere near people in Louth and to include their support in the application is misleading."
The Louth Canal application has 600 signed letters in support of the application and over the past three days, environmentalist campaigners Alliance 4 Wind (A4W) have collected 400 signatures in support of the ASC project.
A4W – who are being paid by ASC – argue people "have a duty" to look after the environment and are within their rights to gather support from people in Louth.
Environmentalist Jonathan Lincoln said: "The people who oppose the Newton Marsh wind farm have been very small in numbers. We all have a duty of care for the environment and by opposing wind farms they are denying their duty. Climate change is the biggest threat we face and we have to be held accountable.
"We are in Louth because ELDC is the planning authority and this is its main town. The people living here have a right to their opinion. We are giving the planners the benefit of the bigger picture."
At the time of going to press, Partnership For Renewables had not responded, but operations manager for ASC, Mike Denny, said: "Louth was chosen as the location for the campaign as it's one of the largest population centres in the vicinity of the planned wind farm and ELDC and is representative of people who live, work and visit this part of Lincolnshire.
"While we've not yet analysed the letters in any detail as the campaign is on-going, it's clear there has been an excellent response from a wide range of addresses across the local region saying yes to wind."
See Monday's Grimsby Telegraph for coverage of Saturday's Marsh Wind farm Action Group meeting.
