Six months after the wind turbines on the Thorup Plain were put into operation, the Planning Appeals Board has rejected the EIA report that formed the basis of the project.
According to the board, the municipalities of Jammerbugt and Vesthimmerland have not taken sufficient account of the birds, the lesser kestrel and the common harrier, in their EIA study.
This has led the Planning Appeals Board to reject the entire EIA report, which frustrates Per Bach Laursen (V), mayor of Vesthimmerland.
He is incomprehensible that the entire report has been rejected, and why the two municipalities now have to go through the entire process again instead of just the report on the birds.
- Reference is made exclusively to the bird species, and why should all the other elements also be rejected? asks Per Bach Laursen.
Vesthimmerland and Jammerbugt municipalities are now in dialogue about how to proceed from here. However, guidelines from the Planning Appeals Board are missing, criticizes Per Bach Laursen.
Although the municipalities' work has been rejected by the board, the mayor denies that it is because the municipalities do not have the competence for the task.
- We definitely have the competence we need to carry out these studies. But it is as if the Planning Appeals Board is working in a different way now than before, says Per Bach Laursen.
What do we want with the green transition?
It is still unclear what will happen to the 18 wind turbines on the Thorup plain, and whether some of the wind turbines will have to be taken down or stand still for some of the time to create better conditions for the birds.
The municipalities have some time to review the matter, after which meetings will be held in both municipalities next week about the upcoming process.
However, Per Bach Laursen believes that we must gradually ask ourselves what we want with the green transition. Previously, the large-scale Nørrekær Enge was slowed down out of concern for pond bats in the area.
- In the past, it was noise pollution from wind turbines or odor pollution from biogas plants that were the problem, but now it is often biodiversity that is a major obstacle to the installation of wind turbines and solar cells, says Per Bach Laursen.
The mayor emphasizes that he understands that wildlife must also be taken into account, but he points out that there is a lack of a clear direction for the green transition.
He also points out that if the green transition cannot be achieved in a municipality like Vesthimmerland, where there is "plenty of space between the houses", it will be difficult to achieve the 2030 goals for Denmark and for the municipalities.
- It is interesting as a city council to help set a larger agenda than what we normally deal with. We can help make a green mark on the world. But with the latest developments, I don't know how we are going to achieve the climate goals, says a frustrated mayor.
Per Bach Laursen and the city council in Vesthimmerland have contacted Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities Dan Jørgensen (S) before Christmas, but have not yet heard back.
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