| THE PROPOSED WIND FACTORY OF THREE TURBINES WILL INDUSTRIALISE OUR LANDSCAPE |
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| Fighting a campaign of this nature is akin to David and Goliath. The collective power of wind energy companies and government policy is enormous. Professional public relations companies are employed by windfarm companies to reassure nearby residents during the planning phase and frequently succeed in selling the alleged benefits of wind factories. The spin put out by developers encourages people to support them. By the time the power station is under construction, it is too late to do anything. Communities are forced to start living with the difficulties, regretting they did not play their part in preventing the turbines being built in the first place. |
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| WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT THIS PRECIOUS ENVIRONMENT |
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Please ask every member of your household, family and friends who are unhappy about this proposal to write a letter before 30th October 2008.
A personal letter that states your objections will be very effective.
Remember - one letter signed by several people will only count as one objection.
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| TO OBJECT PLEASE WRITE TO: |
David Bailey
Chief Planner
Department of Planning and Housing Services,
Bedford Borough Council
Town Hall
St Paul’s Square
Bedford MK40 1SJ
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| YOU MUST QUOTE REFERENCE: 08/02692/MAF- 3 WIND TURBINES AT AIRFIELD FARM |
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| The ES produced by the developer does not address many of the new issues raised by the revised scheme.
Much of the previous material is recycled inappropriately and incorrectly and the photomontages are wholly inadequate. |
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| The recent Landscape Character Assessment of North Bedfordshire has identified the Upper Ouse Valley as medium to highly sensitive to development.
The size and scale of the Airfield Farm Windfarm proposal is wholly unacceptable and will have a significant adverse effect on the landscape character of North Bedfordshire.
The turbines which are 125m high will dominate the countryside for many miles around and intrude into an Area of Great Landscape Value. |
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| The massive turbines will tower above Odell Great Woods classified as ancient woodland. This is one of only eight local areas with the national designation of SSSI for its unique flora and fauna |
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| They have made a number of inaccurate and misleading claims in the Airfield Wind Farm Community Update which is their only attempt to work with the community |
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| The developer's claim that the reduction in the number of turbines will lower the visual impact on the landscape is misleading.
A single turbine at 125 meters in height cannot be absorbed into the local topography without undue visual impact and is wholly unacceptable.
The proposed windfarm will damage the visual amenity of all who live in the 20 villages nearest to the site It is not acceptable that a rural landscape should be used to site a conspicuous and inappropriate industrial development. |
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| The survey of wild life provided by the developers is totally inadequate.
Turbines are unacceptably close to Odell Glebe buildings which are important sites of bats and nesting barn owls. |
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| The building of one huge vertical structure on this site will set an undesirable precedent for others as it will destroy the important and sensitive characteristics of the landscape. |
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| The anemometer is out of position if it is to judge wind speeds of the revised wind farm proposal. This impacts on the developer's claims both for noise intrusion and energy production.
The new positions of the turbines in the shelter of Odell Great Wood and other woods makes previous anemometer data redundant.
For the purpose of noise evaluation wind speeds have to be assessed on site in order to evaluate noise intrusion under the terms of ETSU-R97. This is a government requirement, even though in modern circumstances they are acknowledged to be inadequate.
The residences closest to the newly positioned turbines have not been subjected to noise monitoring. |
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| Turbine accidents, fragmented blades, ice build-up on blades and fire risk could all pose danger to people using the amenities of the area such as horse riders and the thousands of campers who enjoy recreation in the immediate area at Santa Pod.
The effects of flicker and shadow and the health risks associated with wind turbine impact. |
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| The proposed windfarm will damage the recreational amenity of those who regularly use the footpaths and bridleways alongside and crossing the proposed site.
The risk to horse riders using the bridleways if a horse is startled by the noise of the turbines or movement of the blades. |
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| The impact of the turbines on the Moated Enclosure which is an important scheduled ancient monument remains extremely intrusive and wholly unacceptable.
Hinwick House, a Grade 1 listed building is within 1 mile of this industrial development.
Hinwick Hall, a residential college of further education for young people with disabilities is within 1 mile of this industrial development.
The character of the setting of 20 villages within the zone of visual influence will be greatly undermined, particularly Hinwick and Podington which are conservation areas. |
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| The Airfield Farm Wind Farm will create an unacceptable visual intrusion thereby destroying our rural integrity and local tourism industry.
The Airfield Farm Wind Farm will not replace any power generating plant. All of the existing sources will have to remain operational at all times.
Bedfordshire already generates significant quantities of renewable energy through land fill and biomass Energy crops and Biomass would be a more viable and appropriate source of renewable energy for this area |
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| Bedfordshire has one of the lowest wind speeds in the country. Ludo van Halderen, Nuon's former Chairman of the Board (2008) stated that it is absurd for massive subsidies to go from European electricity consumers to the wind industry sector where the turbines are only achieving a 20% load factor.
Realistically, the Airfield Farm Wind Farm would achieve a load factor of 20% or less, yet Nuon Renewables UK have wrongly claimed a figure of 27%.
The anemometer at Airfield Farm is out of position if it is to judge wind speeds of the revised wind farm proposal. This impacts on the developer's claims both for noise intrusion and energy production. |
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| The construction of the wind farm will involve widening small country lanes and transporting huge components and construction materials through small villages which already carry a disproportionate volume of traffic to Santa Pod and Podington Garden Centre. |
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| The impact during construction and operation will be extensive and damaging to residents |
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| All have to be considered by the Planning Inquiry under the provision of current planning legislation |
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| SAMPLE LETTER OF OBJECTION |
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If you wish to use the sample letter of objection, please also include as many of your own reasons for objecting. This will ensure that your objection is recognised and counted as an individual objection.
Download the sample letter as a Word document. |
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| OTHER CONTACTS |
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| Letters to your local Councillor at the Town Hall, your local MP at the House of Parliament, and your MEP will add weight. |
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| Members of Parliament |
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| North East Bedfordshire |
Alistair Burt MP
burta@parliament.uk |
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 4239 |
NEBCA,
Biggleswade Conservative
Club,
St Andrews Street,
Biggleswade,
Beds SG18 8BA
Tel: 01767 313385 |
| Wellingborough |
Peter Bone MP
bonep@parliament.uk |
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 8496
Tel: 01933 279343 |
Wellingborough CA
21a High Street
Wellingborough
Northamptonshire
NN8 4JZ
Tel: 01933 271207 |
| South West Bedfordshire |
Andrew Selous MP
selousa@parliament.uk |
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 8134 |
Tel: 01582 662 821 |
| Mid Bedfordshire |
Nadine Dorries MP
dorriesn@parliament.uk |
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 4239 |
Mid-Bedfordshire CA
St Michael's Close
High Street
Shefford
Bedfordshire
SG17 5DD
Tel: 01462 811992 |
| Milton Keynes North East |
Mark Lancaster TD MP
lancasterm@parliament.uk |
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 8414 |
13a High Street,
Newport Pagnell,
Bucks
Tel: 01908 615757 |
| Buckingham |
John Bercow MP
bercowj@parliament.uk |
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 6346 |
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| Members of European Parliament |
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| East Midlands |
Chris Heaton-Harris MEP
email |
European Parliament
ASP 14 E 157
60 Rue Wiertz
B-1047 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: 00 32 2 2845523 |
23 Queen Street
Market Rasen
Lincoln
LE8 3EN
Tel: 01673 849 585 |
| East Midlands |
Roger Helmer MEP
email |
European Parliament
60 Rue Wiertz
Bruxelles 1047
Belgium
Tel: 00 32 2 2845764 |
Boswell House
9 Prospect Court
Courteenhall Road
Blisworth
Northamptonshire
NN7 3DG
Tel: 01604 859 728 |
| East Midlands |
Bill Newton Dunn MEP
email |
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10 Church Lane
Navenby
Lincoln
LN5 0EG
Tel: 01522 810 812 |
| Eastern |
Robert Sturdy MEP
rwsturdy@btconnect.com |
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153 St Neot's Road
Hardwick
Cambs. CB23 7QJ
Tel: 01954 211790 |
| Eastern |
Geoffrey Van Orden MEP
gvanorden@europarl.eu.int |
European Parliament
ASP 14 E 146
Rue Wiertz
1047 Bruxelles
Belgium
Tel: 0032 2284 5332 |
88 Rectory Lane
Chelmsford
Essex
CM1 1RF
Tel: 01245 345 188 |
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| SUPPORT CLOWD WITH MUCH NEEDED DONATIONS |
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| However small. Although most of our work is done voluntarily we must get proper legal and professional advice to fight this application. This costs money! |
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| SEND YOUR DONATIONS TO: |
Ros Pound,
Wheatsheaf Farmhouse,
Hinwick
NN29 7JF
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burta@parliament.uk |
0207 219 8132 /01767 313385
01234 314491 / 0786 8899789 |
14 th October 2008 |
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MP WELCOMES BIG TURN OUT AT PARISH WIND FARM MEETING
RENEWED OPPOSITION TO NEW APPLICATION
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| North East Bedfordshire MP Alistair Burt chaired a special meeting on Thursday 9th October called by the Podington Parish Council to discuss the new application submitted by NUON for three wind turbines in the area. The meeting was held in a full hall, and speakers and residents outlined their concerns. These included CLOWD and Mr Michael Jefferson, a local resident and a former Chairman of an international body on sustainable energy.
Consultation by Bedford Borough Council has just started, and Mr Burt was using the meeting to gauge the views of constituents to the proposal. Mr Burt opposed the previous application.
‘It was clear that residents are no more convinced of these proposals than of the earlier ones. Concerns were raised about the visual environmental impact in an area of great landscape beauty, the economics of wind power and whether there would be reasonable generation of power from wind in this location.
It is a difficult issue, because we know we need alternatives to fossil fuels, and residents are as committed to renewable and sustainable energy as anybody else, whilst not seeing wind here as the answer. I hope that alternatives such as micro generation are considered as local possibilities with all the new building in the county, and there are other locations where wind power would do well. But it remains a controversial answer and is not a universal ‘get out of jail free card.
I will now be consulting with other local parishes before submitting views to the planning authority.’
Contacts: Alistair Burt MP 0207 219 8132 / 0786 8899789
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