VESTHIMMERLAND: The plans of the Capital Utilities (Hofor) to erect six 150-meter-high turbines in Bjørnstrup in Vesthimmerland Municipality came a big step closer to realization on Thursday. Thus, the Minister of the Interior and Housing Kaare Dybvad Bek (S) has decided to lift the Viborg Diocese's objection to the project, the Ministry of the Interior and Housing informs.
The Viborg Diocese raised an objection to the Vesthimmerland Municipality's planning basis for the erection of new wind turbines in Bjørnstrup in August. The diocese believed that the planned wind turbines would be contrary to the national interest in preserving cultural heritage, as they would damage the environment around the church, which has parts that date back to the 12th century.
Since then, there has been ongoing dialogue between the parties about the plans, but they proved fruitless, which is why Vesthimmerland chose to bring the matter to the minister's table.
Visit the area
To assess the matter, Kaare Dybvad Bek visited the area around the church in February. That assessment has therefore not turned out to be in Viborg's favour.
Kaare Dybvad Bek emphasises in his decision that the wind turbines are not considered to have a decisive negative impact on the cultural environmental value of Gundersted Church, and the decision places emphasis on the distance between the church and the planned wind turbines.
- Wind turbines play a central role in the green transition. It is of course important that the green transition takes place in a way that shows consideration for neighbours, nature and our common cultural heritage. I believe that is also the case here at Gundersted Church, he says.
The decision will probably bring joy to Vesthimmerland Municipality. During the visit in February, Mayor Per Bach Laursen (V) was clear about the matter.
- If this project is closed, we must ask ourselves whether we can continue working with wind turbine energy, he told Nordjyske.
Will work to change the right of objection
The decision will also bring joy to Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities Dan Jørgensen (S).
- I think that the specific case of the lifting of the Viborg Diocese's objection is a good example of us removing a barrier to the construction of wind turbines, he says.
However, the case may also have more far-reaching consequences for churches' ability to stop wind turbines or other major projects near the church. According to the Minister of the Interior and Housing, the government will work to change the churches' right to object:
- The planning of wind turbines and solar cells must be accelerated, and therefore I believe that we must look at how we can make the process more uniform and transparent in the future in relation to the Diocese's right to object, so that we avoid that green projects are unnecessarily delayed, says Kaare Dybvad Bek.
However, it is not only the church that has had objections to the six wind turbines in Bjørnstrup. A citizens' group against the construction of the turbines in Bjørnstrup has thus called an opinion poll commissioned by Hofor, which is responsible for the construction of the turbines, pure manipulation, as it showed that approximately 75 percent of Vesthimmerland residents were positive towards erecting wind turbines within the municipal boundaries.
In addition, the adoption of the local plan, which makes the six turbines possible, also divided the city council groups in the three largest parties in Vesthimmerland city council.
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