THE INDEPENDENTS condemn the senseless waste of tax money in Nideggen. Irrespective of personal assessments of wind energy in connection with energy policy, the town council must orient itself to overriding requirements.
Background
Across almost all parties and parliaments, the exit from nuclear energy is well approved. The federal government is anxious to present its activities as successful. And in the implementation, the goals of the respective state plans u.A. The creation of a correspondingly large number of priority areas for wind energy. However, there are still some unanswered questions about the energy turnaround. Two points are worth considering:
Successful, economic investments – without promotion – do not exist so far. This subsidy is the reason for the high electricity prices. The problem of continuous availability of electricity cannot be solved by wind and solar energy. Therefore, the question of storage facilities will continue to occupy us.
Stupidity in Nideggen
Like Don Quixote at that time, the city of Nideggen is now fighting against windmills. It is a pity that the citizens, not the initiators, have to pay for it. Because these hide behind their council mandate. The now practiced wave of lawsuits against various projects in neighboring municipalities only benefits a few individual interested parties who have made themselves heard with much fanfare by MfN, CDU and FDP. Whether this is really will of the majority of the population in Nideggen, may be doubted.
We tend to pursue goals of maintaining as much distance as possible from residential development in the context of setting up special use areas. Because u.E. The current minimum distances can quickly lead to problems. Currently, this becomes clear in many places with the problems with existing areas, which at that time only maintained minimum distances, but are now faced with enormous problems in the context of the repowering of the wind turbines because of the higher display. Apart from that, every meter more distance protects from noise or shadows even if the permissible framework has already been observed beforehand. Arguments like "protection of the historic town center", "Nideggen becomes uninteresting for tourists because of the wind turbines on the fields" o.Ä. Counteract each other already alone whether the given facts. We call them absolute nonsense! Because no matter whether tourists from Cologne or Simmerath drive towards Nideggen, they pass wind turbines in the other towns and communities. Whether the tourists then from the keep, if they climb it at all, when looking into the distance wind turbines on municipal territory of Vettweiß or Erftstadt, or already those of Kreuzau or Erftstadt. Seeing Nideggen for yourself should not really keep anyone from visiting the old town. A photomontage also shows a view in the direction of Zülpicher Tor. It could be that on the right of the gate if necessary. Now and then a wing is to be seen. U.E. No reason not to enjoy this unique view from the market place anymore.
The prehistory – foresighted administration
Nideggen was fast and actually also pioneering in the designation of special areas for wind energy in the southern district of Düren. Result are the wind turbines in Berg and Schmidt. It quickly became clear, however, that the legal requirements demanded otherwise in the meantime. Still at times of mayor Willi Hönscheid therefore a presentation for the council was made, which pointed to this dilemma and demanded an investigation of the entire city area. Clearly, without an adopted updated plan, developers could apply to build wind turbines on any site they liked. However, nothing happened for a long time. Only when the first interested parties for further wind power plants appeared, the topic became topical again. Mayor Margit Göckemeyer, in coordination with the political representatives, took the opportunity to commission an expert opinion free of charge for the city of Nideggen. This expert opinion should give information about all potential areas. Serve as a basis for the designation of the new special use areas to be established. First talks with the community of Kreuzau for the design of a belt from Drove via Thum to Berg took place in order to consider the interests of both communities without problems.
The madness – wrong decision of the council
During the time until the completion of the expert opinion, various discussions took place with the political representatives and the administration as well as, in part, with those who wanted to build. It became clear which areas came into question for the later designation and which ones had to be prevented as far as possible because they did not fit into the conception. Fourteen days before the agreed presentation date of the expert opinion then the change in the policy. Led by MfN, the necessity to draw up a new land use plan was doubted. Also any further activity for the completion of the appraisal should be stopped. Nideggen, with a CDU-MfN-FDP-majority, committed itself to a future without further wind power plants, but also without a potential analysis. All our references to the administration's submission at the time, the current legal situation, etc., have been ignored. Were made in accordance with the motto "We know better! Under Mayor Marco Schmunkamp, the legal situation was examined. The facts once again rehashed. The result was and is that the initiative at that time was exactly right and legally necessary! A bitter defeat for the CDU-MfN-FDP majority. But the new expert's report, which now has to be commissioned at high costs, was talked up with remarks a lá "Whoever orders the expert will also get a desired result". THE INDEPENDENTS doubt further that renowned offices work in such a way.
The progress – additional money given away
In the meantime, municipalities like Kreuzau were long finished with the designation of special use areas. And without the then intended coordination with Nideggen, the plans for the erection of wind turbines were of course realized without taking into account possible sites on areas in the municipal area of Nideggen. As a result, the last wind turbine was planned quite far on the border of the city of Nideggen. The necessary connection to the power grid should even be made over areas of the city of Nideggen. Offers of first 60 and last 90.000 EUR for this were knocked out on MfN initiative high-nosily, without throwing once a view of the budget situation. In the meantime there is even jurisprudence that such refusals are not to be held upright. Remains to hope to realize later at least a fraction of the offer at that time.
The current situation – the citizens must continue to pay!
Also further the argument with the wind power costs the citizens in Nideggen despite existing budget situation very much money. In the meantime already obligations of lawyer costs in middle five-digit height were taken, in order to still prevent the planning in Kreuzau. Even hints of the lawyer's office with estimation of chances of success are almost ignored and ignored.
While our village communities and associations continue to be asked to pay or the city can no longer afford to subsidize the music school in order to keep the budget situation under control, the council majority wastes u.E. Without prospects of success tax money in gigantic height. We ask ourselves in the meantime whether a still so expensive citizen decision does not represent the more economical solution in the long run.