|
Sefton MBC Council should find its Windy Spots
SEFTON MBC
should be required to identify possible windfarm sites in the
borough according to a local Euro-MP.
New EU targets require
Britain to move from sourcing 2% of energy renewably to 15% within
13 years and energy from wind turbines is certain to play a
significant part in meeting this.
According to the British Wind Energy Association there are currently
166 windfarms in the UK with a further 34 under construction.
But local Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies says that building more
windfarms must not be at the expense of the many valued landscapes
across the North West.
He said:- “Wind energy has a role to play, but if precious
landscapes are to be lost the public must be convinced that our
hills and moorland are not simply being exploited to support the
latest get-rich-quick scheme from powerful property developers.”
Mr Davies says community based schemes similar to those used in
Denmark should be put in place. Under this model each local
authority would publish a map showing the locations, if any, where
average wind speeds are sufficient to justify windfarm development.
Through public consultation they could then identify the places
where this would command the greatest and least public support and
amend planning guidance accordingly.
Chris Davies claims there are areas with high enough wind speeds
that would receive little objection from the public. He said:-
“For example, there are places in the South Pennines where
construction of hundreds of wind generators could take place without
arousing huge opposition. It would be hard to criticise the
intrusion of wind farms along the M62 corridor where the landscape
is already cut through by a 6-lane motorway. But precious landscapes
shouldn’t be scarred with man made wind-farms until all options are
explored to the full.”
To be economically viable in the UK, a potential site generally
needs average wind speeds of above 6m/s at the hub height. |
Lust to Litigation – how Valentine's Day romance can end in an
employment tribunal
MOST small and
many larger employers are blissfully unaware that office lust can
lead to litigation even where the employer is not directly involved.
Employers can be held liable for sexual harassment by one employee
of another, even if the harassment occurs outside working hours.
A special poll commissioned by employersfriend.com - the website
which helps employers with employment law - has revealed that nearly
2/3rds of smaller employers and a surprising number of larger
employers do not have written harassment policies, which could help
to prevent unlimited claims.
The joint employersfriend.com /
ComRes poll found that 62% of smaller employers failed to have
written harassment policies in place.
Phillip Oppenheim, a former employment minister and founder of
employersfriend.com commented:- "A seemingly innocent
Valentine's Day card, a text or email which is perceived by an
individual to be offensive can result in a claim – and it does
happen. In one case, a senior City lawyer told a 29-year-old
female solicitor that she had a 'great cleavage' – among
other observations. That cost his firm a £1m settlement."
Legally, employers have to be aware of goings-on in the office and
are responsible for an employee's behaviour in the workplace.
According to Phillip Oppenheim:- "One person's welcome
advances could be another's harassment. And if an office romance
goes wrong, we all know that something which might have been
acceptable one day becomes unacceptable the next."
But according to employersfriend.com, employers can avoid liability
if they have proper policies to deal with harassment. Says
Phillip Oppenheim:- "Employers have to be well-informed and
cover themselves where they can. Having a harassment policy in place
is a good first step, which is where employersfriend.com can offer a
helping hand". |
