Windmills just hot air

By Cordelia O'Neill

ISLINGTON Council's plan to install a wind turbine on Upper Street are to go ahead in spite of criticism from energy experts.

Two consultants told a sustainability committee meeting last night that the council should invest in energy saving measures such as draft excluders and loft insulation instead of “gimmicks.”

Planning permission has been granted early for the turbine to be built above the municipal offices on Upper Street, as long as no complaints are received from residents.

Islington Council, currently London’s most polluting borough, has invested £3 million of their 2007 budget to a new climate change fund, in a bid to drive down carbon emissions.

But critics estimate that the turbine will generate just 5% of the energy needed to run the building, and will waste precious resources.

Labour councillor James Murray said: “It’s basically a waste of money. When you have finite resources you have to concentrate on what’s effective. There wouldn’t be a problem if the offices were just more energy efficient to start with."

He added: “A wind turbine would be the icing on the cake. But you need to bake the cake before you can ice it. It’s a drop in the ocean. The turbine won’t power more than a couple of light bulbs in a basement toilet.”

But council leader James Kempton said: “We can’t be complacent on this issue. The council may be the biggest polluter, but 95 per cent of the emissions in Islington come from other places. That's why it is so important we all work together.

"I look forward to seeing lots more renewable energy across the borough, from solar panels to wind turbines, to biomass boilers and ground source heat pumps.”

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