Wellow Preservation is dedicated to safeguarding the rural identity of our village by opposing local wind turbine projects. We strive to preserve Wellow’s unique heritage and beautiful landscape for future generations.
Protecting the Unique Character and Landscape of Wellow
Wellow lies within the Cotswolds National Landscape (formerly known as the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and the Green Belt.
As well as being a beautiful landscape treasured by those who visit and live within it, the Wellow valley is a site of exceptional archaeological and cultural sensitivity. It is home to two scheduled monuments: the Neolithic Stoney Littleton Long Barrow and the Roman villa at Upper Hayes. The Grade I listed St Julian’s Church, St Julian’s Well, and many other historic and listed buildings together form a unique and historic village character.
Guarding against Irreversible Harm
While we support the transition to sustainable energy, it must not come at the cost of destroying our most sensitive environments. Wind turbines would fundamentally alter the character of the valley for everyone who lives in and visits it.
Harm to Visual Amenity: The open skyline of Wellow is a valuable public asset that provides mental and physical well-being to the community and visitors alike. The visual bulk and motion of industrial-scale blades would ruin the peace of the valley and irrevocably damage the experience of our historic sites.
The New Normal: Introducing industrial infrastructure into this ancient setting establishes a dangerous precedent. Once the historic skyline is breached, the benchmark for assessing future applications shifts, potentially inviting the gradual industrialization of the entire landscape.
The scale of the divisive development being proposed is wholly incompatible with the duty to protect our finest landscapes. A green transition that destroys irreplaceable heritage is not truly sustainable.
Our Vision: True Sustainability in Wellow
Wellow Preservation is not opposed to renewable energy; we are opposed to the mis-siting of industrial infrastructure in sensitive landscapes. We advocate for a thoughtful transition that harmonises climate goals with heritage conservation:
Micro-Generation and Retrofitting: We support community-led initiatives such as residential rooftop solar, heat pumps, and sensitive energy efficiency measures for our historic buildings.
Strategic Siting: We believe large-scale renewable projects should be directed toward land with lower heritage sensitivity, such as former industrial sites or brownfield land, where they can contribute to regional targets without harming nationally significant assets.
Nature Recovery: We advocate for nature-led projects within the Wellow valley that enhance our natural carbon sinks and support local biodiversity without requiring industrial construction.
By choosing the right technology in the right locations, we can meet our environmental goals while working together to ensure the preservation of Wellow’s unique history and beauty for generations to come.
If you would like to join the Wellow Preservation team, get in touch: [email protected]