Welbury Wind Farm
If you oppose the idea of a Wind Farm please write to:
Mr J Saddington
(Planning case Officer)
Hambleton District Council
Civic Centre
Stone Cross
Northallerton
DL6 2UU
The Ingram Grange proposal
The wind farm proposal is for 9 turbines of height up to 125 metres (410 feet), mostly in Welbury Parish. The planning reference at Hambleton DC is 08/03771/SCR. Hambleton District Council has pulished a Scoping Report and a Scoping Opinion, which are supposed to be accessed at http://www.hambleton.gov.uk/. The planning officer concerned is Jonathan.Saddington@hambleton.gov.uk. The Scoping Report was produced by the developers and gives details of the proposal.
Scoping stage
Jonathan Saddington advises:
"Consequently any comments you may have cannot be taken into account at the Scoping Stage. Any comments you do have concerning the proposal and should be resubmitted when a planning application is received. The Council will undertake consultation with neighbours at the appropriate time, which is likely to be late 2009 or early 2010."
Developers and industry
The developers' site is www.esh.uk.com and its link http://www.purenewenergies.co.uk/page/index.cfm. Their contact suggested by Jonathan Saddington is adrian.miller@esh.uk.com
The national industry body promoting windfarms is the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA).
Policy
There is a strong national policy in favour of renewable energy and wind farms in particular, with specific on-shore windfarm targets cascading down through the Yorkshire & Humber Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) http://www.goyh.gov.uk/goyh/plan/regplan/ to Counties and Districts including the Hambleton Local Development Framework (LDF).
National guidelines for wind farms are in Planning Policy Statement 22 (PPS22) and its Companion Guide.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/pps22
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/147447.pdf
Objectors’ national umbrella group Country Guardian
The national umbrella body for objectors is Country Guardian www.countryguardian.net which has a wealth of good material, including a substantial document "The Case Against Wind Farms" and reports on key issues such as safety. Country Guardian does not itself campaign against specific proposals, rather it provides information and support for some 200 local groups who do.
Local action group and web sites
After various parish meetings, a North Hambleton Windfarm Action Group was formed on 23 February to oppose the Ingram Grange wind farm proposal. There are members from Appleton, Deighton, Great Smeaton, Hornby, Rountons and Welbury. Areas of responsibility have been assigned covering most key issues. Stephen Lindo (Appleton) is Chairman and Dick Simpson (Appleton) is Secretary. Pending a group web site, keep track of www.Welbury.com and www.appletonwiske.com
An email newsletter (5 issues so far) has been circulated to some Welbury residents and is available to local residents on request.
The North Hambleton Windfarm Action Group NHWAG http://www.nhwag.co.uk/ has gained widespread support from Great Smeaton and Picton to Welbury, Deighton and the Rountons, and has support from William Hague MP and CPRE.
Other local wind farm proposals and action groups
Bullamoor wind farm is at a more advanced stage than Ingram Grange. Details are on www.hambleton.gov.uk under planning public access ref 08/04984/FUL. A Bullamoor Windfarm Action Group has been formed.
The Seamer wind farm was successfully opposed in 2008 by the Seamer-Hylton Windfarm Action Group SHWAG. Both Hambleton DC and Stockton BC rejected it. SHWAG are helping the North Hambleton group.
Wind speeds
A BERR web site gives wind speeds at Ordnance Survey grid references and via post codes. It is a long url so watch for line breaks when pasting it: http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources/renewables/explained/wind/windspeed-database/page27326.html
The site gives wind speed 6.6m/s or less at 45 metres above turbine sites, whereas 2MW turbines are designed for full power at 12m/s. So it’s a low wind speed site.
(In)effectiveness
(In)effectiveness was a decisive issue in a rejected wind farm proposal in the south of England. Such a case is mentioned in Chapter 6 of the Centre for Policy Studies 2008 report "Wind Chill" available at http://www.cps.org.uk/cpsfile.asp?id=1026
Aircraft zones
The Durham Tees Valley Airport has an “Aerodrome Safeguarded Area” which covers Welbury Parish and further south beyond the level crossing on Long Lane. All 9 turbines would be well within the DTV Aerodrome Safeguarded Area. The site is also in line of sight with radar at RAF Leeming, and in a low-flying corridor (the Leeming-Teesside gap).
Set back from roads and paths.
The Scoping Report page 54/73 quotes PPS22 section 53 of "at least fall over distance". From APPENDIX A that would imply at least 125m from roads and pubic paths. The Scoping Report further quotes section 56 of PPS22: "The British Horse Society, following internal consultations, has suggested a 200m exclusion zone around bridle paths to avoid the turbines frightening horses." Several turbines would be closer to paths than this.
William Hague
William Hague MP has written “… should this plan adversely affect any of my constituents , I would be happy to give any help that I can to oppose it . I have already written to Hambleton District Council to pass on the views given by many constituents on this issue."
Please drop me a line at www.mcware.co.uk if you have any content to add to this section.