Zonnebeke (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Zonnebeke opposes a 230m wind turbine near the A19. Mayor Koen Meersseman (TEAM8980) and 558 residents object, citing noise, landscape impact, and heritage concerns. The final decision is pending with the government.
The town of Zonnebeke, a municipality in Belgium, located in the province of West Flanders, doesn’t want a new wind turbine to be built near the A19 motorway. A lot of people who live in the area don’t want it either. Officials mentioned that the wind turbine would be very tall, 230 meters, which is almost 5 times taller than the church in Zonnebeke.
Many people are worried about the noise and the shadows the wind turbine would make. They also think that it would look bad in the countryside and that the landscape should be kept nice. The town agrees with the people and says wind turbines shouldn’t be built.
Will Zonnebeke’s opposition stop the 230m wind turbine?
The people of Zonnebeke are worried that a big wind turbine might be built even though they don’t want it. They started a group to say no to the wind turbine. They want green energy but think the wind turbine is too big and too close to homes.
People are upset because they don’t know if the government will listen to them. Town mentioned that some people think the wind turbine is good for the environment, but others think it’s too bad for the area and the people who live there. Over 558 people wrote to the town council saying they didn’t want the turbine. The mayor said this shows that almost everyone in the town doesn’t want the turbine.
558 residents filed an objection with the municipality following the public inquiry and many more residents contacted the municipal authorities informally. Proof that there is no support for the construction of this behemoth
said Mayor Koen Meersseman (TEAM8980).
The mayor explained that they received many complaints from residents, and they couldn’t support something that would harm the environment or upset the community. Zonnebeke is a historic town with important farmland, and the mayor said they will protect it from any development that could change its character.
The final decision is up to the higher government. Officials mentioned that people in Zonnebeke are waiting to see what the government decides, which is causing some uncertainty.
Of course, we are in favour of a sustainable energy policy, but organised in such a way that no conflict arises with the environment and its residents. Zonnebeke is a heritage municipality, we are located in a valuable agricultural area and we will do everything we can to protect it,
the mayor concludes.
