Proposed Berrier Wind Farm Turbines

1. Berrier Hill Wind Farm will have a significant negative impact on the visual quality of the landscape because

• It will diminish an iconic view to and from Blencathra; one of the most famous mountains in Lakeland
• In turn these will blunt the appeal of Sharp Edge; it is one of the finest ridge scrambles in the Lake District.
• It will introduce a discordant and non-harmonious element into the Northern Fells
• It will upset the visual unity of the Lake District National Park as the proposed wind farm is adjacent to the north eastern boundary.
• This is a sensitive environment which will not be able to absorb an industrial development on this scale, the eye will be inexorably drawn to nine, white, steel, three hundred and thirty five foot, rotating windmills, set 1500 foot above sea level, as there are no competing elements to lessen their impact.
• Because the turbines would look down into the national park, the Eden Valley and North Pennines area of outstanding beauty, the visual impact will be more intrusive because the huge structures will be silhouetted against the horizon.
• The Northern Fells are recognised as a landscape of International, National and Local significance, characterised by their quiet, unspoilt beauty; this unique selling point will be lost.
• The Landscape Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) doesn't fully take into account the value to the nation of the aesthetic, social, historical, cultural, literary,archeological, ecological and spiritual quality of this area of Lakeland.
• A LVIA has neither been carried out for Blencathra and Sharp Edge, nor Mungrisdale and associated satellite settlements.

2. Berrier Hill Wind Farm will have a significant negative impact on tourism because

• It will have a disproportionate effect on businesses which rely on tourism the Northern Fells are not the tourist honey pots of Amblside and Windermere.
• It will cheapen the shop window of the Northern gateway to the Lake District National park, which is visited by millions of people each year.
• After M6 junction 40, heading towards Keswick, the turbines would be the first landmark as the vista of Blencathra comes into view.
• It will visually pollute, what is a breathing space for the nation, immortalised in the work of Alfred Wainwright.
• This is an aspirational destination for a large part of the uk population, who, if they could, would live and work here. Damage this perception and you will bankrupt the Lake District gold standard.
• It's contiguous with the Coast to Coast Cycle path and businesses serving cyclists in the area have expressed alarm that this important leisure route will be spoilt
• A view is not just a view, to millions, Berrier Hill is an inspiration.