The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A tireless campaigner has vowed to carry on her fight against a second power station in Sutton Bridge despite leaving the area to be closer to family.
Great-grandmother Shirley Giles (pictured) has been at the forefront of the battle to stop EDF building another gas-fired power station – twice the size of the existing one – on land at Wingland.
Shirley (75), of Wharf Street, wrote an open letter to the government’s Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Amber Rudd, urging her to review the case and order a public inquiry.
She told Ms Rudd that she believes the permission granted for Sutton Bridge B is “flawed and incorrect” and is now vowing to go ahead with a meeting with the minister, which South Holland and The Deepings MP John Hayes is organising, to make her points face-to-face.
She also used £3,500 of her own savings to overturn local planning consent for a renewable energy plant, a fight covered in local and national newspapers and on local TV news.
Shirley has lived in Sutton Bridge for 20 years, but has moved to Winchester to be with her family.
During her time in the village she has been involved with a number of local groups, including Sutton Bridge Open Spaces, Community Library, Curlew Community Centre, the foodbank and has served on the parish council.
Last week about 30 friends gathered at the community library to say goodbye to Shirley and thank her for her efforts and wish her well.
