Changes to NPPF give more weight to local community views and impact on landscape

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr. Eric Pickles) has stated that a Coalition Agreement has pledged to decentralise power to local people and give local people far more ability to shape the places in which they live:

“Through a series of reforms, the Government is making the planning process more accessible to local communities, because planning works best when communities themselves have the opportunity to influence the decisions that affect their lives.

However, current planning decisions on onshore wind are not always reflecting a locally-led planning system. To help ensure planning decisions reflect the balance in the Framework, my Department will issue new planning practice guidance shortly to assist local councils, and planning inspectors in their consideration of Local Plans and individual planning applications.

This will set out clearly that:

• the need for renewable energy does not automatically override environmental protections and the planning concerns of local communities; 
• decisions should take into account the cumulative impact of wind turbines and properly reflect the increasing impact on (a) the landscape and (b) local amenity as the number of turbines in the area increases; 
• local topography should be a factor in assessing whether wind turbines have a damaging impact on the landscape (i.e. recognise that the impact on predominantly flat landscapes can be as great or greater than as on hilly or mountainous ones); and 
• great care should be taken to ensure heritage assets are conserved in a manner appropriate to their significance, including the impact of proposals on views important to their setting.

I am writing to Sir Michael Pitt, Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate to ask him to draw this statement to the attention of planning inspectors in their current and future appeals. I will inform colleagues in local government to assist them in their forthcoming decision-making."

(Department for Communities and Local Government, 6 June 2013)

‘Enough is Enough’ – Minister slams onshore wind projects

Insisting ‘enough is enough’, energy minister John Hayes said turbines had been ‘peppered around the country’ with little or no regard for local opinion.

He said existing sites and those in the pipeline would be enough to meet green commitments with no need for more.‘Even if a minority of what’s in the system is built we are going to reach our 2020 target,’ he said. ‘I’m saying enough is enough.’

Mr Hayes said he had commissioned research on the impact of wind turbines on the landscape and whether they drive down house prices.

He has also asked scientists to examine noise complaints and more sinister suggestions that the turbines endanger military aircraft by blocking radar signals.

The intervention by Mr Hayes, who became energy minister in last month’s reshuffle, will delight 100-plus fellow Tory MPs who have urged David Cameron to take a more sceptical approach to onshore wind power.

We agree with John Hayes. You can show your support for John Hayes by completing the form on http://www.togetheragainstwind.com/enough-is-enough/ which will automatically send an email to the Prime Minister and your MP. Please do it now – we need all the support we can get!!

Welsh Assembly considers wind turbine noise nuisance

On 28 February 2012 the Welsh Assembly devoted a full session to noise nuisance from wind turbines. 

The full transcript is on: www.senedd.assemblywales.org/documents/s6363/28%20February%202012.html (starting at paragraph 79). 

Evidence was heard from experts and many people who live up to 5km from a wind farm. In each case the wind farm had been approved as providing acceptable noise under ETSU-R-97 (this is the current methodology to assess turbine noise).

The evidence showed that ETSU-R-97 is NOT suitable for quiet rural areas particularly at night. The methodology is out of date and should be refined.

Some of the points contained in the transcript are as follows:

• All witnesses were originally for the wind turbines thinking that visual impact was the only disadvantage
• All witnesses reported their lives disrupted, sleep disrupted and health affected by frequent unpredictable and uncontrolled turbine noise
• 2 years of recording and investigating have been considered
• Low frequency hum particularly at night at distances of 3 miles leads to sleep disturbance
• The nature of the noise is incessant, repetitive, pulsating
• Symptoms include sleep disturbance, headaches, ringing or buzzing in the ears, tinnitus, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, visual blurring, racing heartbeat, tachycardia, irritability, problems with concentration and memory and panic episodes

In summary ETSU-R-97 makes no allowance for AM (Amplitude Modulation – that is the swishing or thumping noise).  ETSU-R-97 was formulated in 1995/1996 and is now unsuitable for quiet rural areas particularly at night.  

The Welsh Assembly is now looking into the evidence and will report back with recommendations. The main simple request by the witnesses was for wind turbines to be switched off overnight.

In the meantime we should reject ETSU-R-97 at Criddon Wind Farm as an unacceptable criteria for noise reduction.

1 May 2012 - Burton Dassett Campaign Video – Worth a look!

A recent application for 5 turbines at the beauty spot of Burton Dassett in Warwickshire is being fought by a local action group. The countryside impacts have a lot in common with our situation here in Bridgnorth. You can view their campaign video by clicking HERE. Note the scale of the turbines and their impact on the countryside.

28 September 2011 - Philip Dunne MP attends supporters meeting

SBWF held its second public meeting where Philip Dunne spoke against the proposal (see below for his press release) and expressed doubts about the wind turbines straddling the Jack Mytton Way.  The meeting was also addressed by Alison Davies, chairman of Protect Powys Conservation, who explained the significant impact of turbine schemes on the local environment.

 

The meeting was extremely well attended, with standing room only. Many new members were there to help with the campaign and to show the strength of local feeling about the importance of preserving the unique character of the historic landscape around west Bridgnorth hills, Morville, Morville Heath, Chetton, Meadowley, Underton, The Lye, Aston Eyre, Tasley and Upton Cressett. 

CLICK HERE to view / download a pdf of the document circulated at the meeting. This gives a detailed overview of the facts behind the proposed development and outlines some of our objections to the siting of wind turbines in our local community.