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Pigeon fanciers in a flap over wind turbine plans
Mar 9, 2009
PIGEON fanciers in Teesdale say thousands of birds could be put at risk by a proposal to build a wind farm on a main route for racing in Britain.
Arcus Renewable Energy has submitted a scoping report about building four 115-metre turbines at Crake Scar, near the village of Woodland.
Thousands of racing pigeons fly over the area most weeks, including birds released by Scottish pigeon fanciers.
There are fears the pigeons could be killed by the turbine blades and the local club, Cockfield and District Federation, is planning to hold a meeting about the issue.
Club secretary Trevor Peairs, 72, said: “There’s going to be objections coming in through the federation.
“It’s upset a few people because pigeons fly through Woodland all the time.”
The federation has 80 members in Teesdale. In total, there are about 10,000 inland racing pigeons released in west of County Durham, with many more in the area from Durham to Hexham. They can fly as far as France, before returning to their lofts.
Mr Peairs said he was worried the turbines could result in scores of pigeon deaths.
“How many birds go over Woodland all depends on the wind direction, but the area is a main route.
“If they are flying into the sun, they might not see the turbines.”
Mr Peairs said the sport had problems with sparrow hawks maiming pigeons, people shooting the birds and the animals hitting electricity wires.
“If this application gets passed, it will be another problem for us. It’s terrible when you are paying hundreds of pounds for pigeons,” he added.
Pigeon racer Robert Collinson, from Lane Head, in Copley, said the report submitted by Arcus did not consider the impact on the sport.
“There was no mention of racing pigeons. If they would have gone to the site on a Saturday, they would have seen hundreds going over,” he said.
Mr Collinson said he will write to Teesdale District Council to object.
The Royal Pigeon Racing Association, which counts the Queen among its members, has expressed concerns in the past that phone mast transmitters may be interrupting the birds’ homing instincts.