Soon 88 large wind turbines along the E40 between Jabbeke and De Panne?

The project of the turbine companies Aspiravi, Engie and Elicio has been in preparation for years. Middelkerke and Gistel are diametrically opposed. Middelkerke strongly resists. As a city, Gistel is in favor of the environmental impact report and has advised it favorably.

“We have had six wind turbines since 2007. They are located 500 meters from the city center of Gistel. We have not received a complaint from anyone and never at any time about the operation of those turbines, neither about noise nor about shadow shadows. “, says Wim Aernoudt, alderman from the Gistel area.

Permit applications are currently pending for 18 of the 88 turbines along the highway. For now 5 on the territory of Gistel and 13 in Middelkerke. But in the town hall of Middelkerke they advise against the permit.

“In itself I have nothing against wind turbines. We already make a very large contribution. At the moment there are already 400 operating at sea. So our contribution is already quite large. Now people want to go to our hinterland again, a tourist area with natural value another 13 windmills plates. They are not windmills. I call them climate minarets. They are 252 meters high,” says Jean-Marie Dedecker, mayor of Middelkerke.