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26th July 2004

A Major article in the Sunday Times has condemned the proliferation of Wind Farms in the UK.

"Why Wind Farms Should Be Blown Away" reiterates several points consistently made by our campaign:

- Martin Holdgate, an expert in renewable energy fiercely criticises plan for expansion of wind power, believing that they are not worth the cost and large environmental impact given the small amounts of energy intermittently produced.

- Sir Ian Fells, professor of energy conversion at Newcastle University and "one of the world's leading experts in renewable energy" says that for wind power to contribute just 5% of Britain's electricity supply will "take a Herculean effort and a lot of subsidy".

The article goes on to say that "...behind [the building of wind farms] is a goldrush sparked by incentives created by a government struggling to meet its own targets for renewable energy." "It has led to developers racing to build turbines with little care for the environment".

It goes on to quote Tom Burke, former director of Friends of The Earth, pointing out that there is "a lot of money to be made".

- A single 2 megawatt turbine will generate its owner nearly £385,000 a year for 20 years. Not bad for a machine that costs £1.2 million to build.

- More viable alternatives suggested include wave, tidal and solar power.

The article is available here - although requires (free) registration with the Sunday Times. (I have been registered here for some months and haven't received any unsolicited emails as a result.)

 

 

"Tories pledge they will slow down the wind farm revolution"

Taken from the Sunday Times - the Conservative Party say they will "rein in the government’s controversial expansion of wind farms if they win the next general election."

"The Conservatives, Yeo said, will make it harder for central government to over- rule local people if they object to the erection of wind turbines near their homes. "

The full article is available here

 

11th July: Leading Government Scientist Criticises Rush To Develop Wind Farms

As reported by the Sunday Times today, Professor Howard Dalton, chief scientist at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), said the power from wind farms would be expensive and the turbines costly to maintain.

He contends that Wind Power is too expensive, impractical and is a severe detriment to the UK landscape. He would prefer to see the UK - one of the most energy inefficient countries in Europe - concentrate on using less energy.

You need to be registered with the Times Online to view the full story (it's free to do so and nor personal details need be given). The link is here.

 

1st July: Below is a "press release" issued by email today

"COUNCILLOR GAGGED AT PLANNING COMMITTEE.

Liberal Democrat Councillor and deputy opposition spokesperson on planning, ROGER HINDLE, was barred from asking about the future of the United Utilities planning application for the windfarm at tonight's planning committee meeting.

Councillor Hindle was about to ask when the windfarm application was to be determined, but was stopped by the Chairman, Councillor Steve Bashforth, following an intervention from Councillor Jeremy Sutcliffe.

COUNCILLOR HINDLE says, "I am not the only person who wants to know what is going on with this application. Following the postponement of the special planning committee meeting scheduled for 28th April, no further information has been given to planning committee members and people want to know when the application for the proposed windfarm at Denshaw will now be debated and decided".

"I have been asked if the postponement of the April special meeting could have had anything to do with the impending local elections on 10th June. I could not possibly comment on that, but I would like to know now where we are up to!"

As Councillor Hindle was not permitted to ask his question, at the planning committee, he has contacted the Executive Director for Environmental Services, Tom Flanagan and Assistant Director, Development Control, Geoff Willerton and asked for a full and immediate response.

Councillor Roger Hindle - Home tel. 0161 785 8293, work 0161 955 0105."

Not sure what it all means and there was no accompanying explanation. Retired School Teacher, Cllr Jeremy Sutcliffe, appears "on the ball" in attempts not to prejudice the planning committee's future decision making ability on technical ground, so I would assume that there was a technical reason behind his intervention...

 

20th June: The Saddleworth Wind Energy conference proves to be a big success. A broad range of issues were discussed. World renowned environmental campaigner, Dr. David Bellamy, opened the conference and asked questions of the government;

'Why if New Labour really believes in carbon induced global warming are they financing the construction of coal fired power stations in the third world ?

Why are they building more airports and motorways here in Britain ?

Why doesn't he take VAT off materials used for lagging roofs ?

Why doesn't he reward the millions of householders who have made their homes more energy efficient rather than subsidise Denmark to build highly inefficient wind factories

And why doesn't he make John Prescott lead the way by choosing a more energy efficient fleet of cars ? "

The press release is available here.

 

After the appearance of the site on the national BBC website, many emails were received yesterday. They ranged from emails of support to aggressive questioning of our "nimbyism". All have been replied to, although some did not warrant much of a response. Unfortunately, most of the negative emails have clearly been sent without the author having the courtesy to even have a brief browse of the site, as many of the comments raised were answered within these pages.

The cries of "nimby" particularly "stick in my craw", as me and my family live some miles away from the proposed site - as many of the protesters do. I will not be able to see the turbines from my home and will not even pass the proposed sites regularly. My personal position is overall opposition to turbines, wherever they are sited.

Some examples of emails (with the names of senders removed), along with my replies, are available here.

 

The Saddleworth Wind Energy conference is being reported on the front page of the bbc news site - one of the most popular sites in the world for up to date news.

Read the full article here.

 

Oldham Labour Euro MP, Arlene McCarthy says European expertese says reject windfarm blot on the Saddleworth landscape.

Arlene has submitted research evidence to Oldham Council based on European research on wind energy use. Full article here.

 

"Your Countryside - Your Choice" - The impact of Land Based Wind Energy Systems on The British Countryside. Details are available on the June 19th conference.

 

Pictures from the mass ramble are available here. I will put more up as they are emailed to me. You should also see some appearing in the Manchester Evening News, Oldham Chronicle and Oldham Advertiser.

100s of walkers converged at Dowry Reservoir, where brief speeches were made by local parish councillor Ken Hulme, Mike Buckley of Saddleworth Civic Trust and Chris Davies, Member of European Parliament.

MEP Chris Davies made 3 main points about the plans -

1 - Britain is among the most energy inefficient nations in Europe. The funds used to subsidise wind power would be far better spent on increasing energy efficiency in homes and workplaces.

2 - Europe currently subsidises schemes such as the Sugar Beet farmers to the tune of £3Billion per year. This makes it impossible for poor farmers across the world to compete and gives us a "sugar mountain". There should be more political focus on this sort of anomaly than erecting countryside destroying structures. These funds could go towards subsidising biomass growing (i.e. stuff that we can burn and grows quickly). This would help farmers diversify and give an environmentally neutral source of power.

3 - If we must erect these turbines, put them in already spoilt countryside - the M62 corridor for example. Don't put them in an unspoilt valley literally next to a site of special scientific interest amongst a breeding ground for at least one endangered species of bird. "Save the best until last" - why ruin unspoilt landscape when there is lots that already is? Why is it "NIMBYism" to say this?

 

Firstly, some clarification on the delay. It seems likely the application will be resubmitted in June or July(after the local council elections I wonder?). There have been serious questions raised by several nature groups. The site of the turbines will be in the middle of the breeding grounds for a rare species of bird. It is also in the flightpath of Canada Geese and experiences elsewhere show that turbines can have a devastating effect on local bird populations. The edge of a turbine blade routinely rotates at over 200KM/h. This does not do a bird an awful lot of good if it flies near to it!

It has been reported in the Oldham Advertiser this week that the proposal has been "delayed indefinitely". I have no further details on this, but I believe it is because of questions about the consultation process United Utilities are meant to have undertaken. It could be connected with the article below, but who knows?

Good news? No way of telling, but it is all the more important to keep the pressure up by attending the mass ramble this Sunday.

 

Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council have joined a long line of objectors to United Utilities proposals to site 7 Giant 350 ft Wind Turbines in one of the most beautiful spots in the South Pennines on Denshaw Moor.

Planning Officers have labelled United Utilities ' Non-Technical Environmental Statement' in support of there proposal as 'Flawed' and to be treated with 'caution' .

The press release is available here.

 

Country Life magazine have organised an online petition against wind farms. More information is available here.

 

The mass ramble is scheduled for Sunday 18th April. A meeting about this is being held in Delph band club on Tuesday 6th April at 7.30pm. Click here for details.

 

A study by the Royal Academy of Engineering has shown Wind Energy to be up to 3 times more expensive than conventional means of production. Offshore windpower is even more expensive than other methods of production, such as wave power. The study is available here. More soon once I've managed to digest the contents (not literally of course!).

 

A national conference about wind farms and their effect on the environment is to take place at Uppermill on June 19th. The press release is available here.

 

JUBILANT villagers are delighted after winning their David and Goliath battle to have plans for a wind farm thrown out.

Residents of Dunnockshaw and Clowbridge are celebrating after planning inspector Mr Keith Durrant ruled that the 12-turbine wind farm on the moors between Crown Point Road and Clowbridge Reservoir should not go ahead.

United Utilities Green Energy Ltd had appealed against Burnley Borough Councils decision to turn down the development.

The full article is available here.

 

The Peak District National Park Authority has expressed its objections to the turbine plans - the Authority's planning officers had recommended objection but the members of the Planning Control Committee insisted that this be amended to STRONGLY object when they heard of the full extent of United Utilities plans. The press release is available here.

 

The latest Saddleworth Moor Action Group newsletter is available here. It includes details of a mass ramble planned for Sunday April 18th.

Also news that the planning decision on the turbines will be made on Wednesday April 28th.

 

John Prescott has a plan for some sort of super city stretching from Liverpool to Hull. I'm not sure if anybody has mentioned the small matter of the Pennines and countless acres of countryside between the 2, but I rather suspect it doesn't bother him. For further evidence of his attitude to the countryside - bearing in mind his department has the final say on all planning matters - check out this and this and this.

 

Saddleworth Archaeological Society has lodged its objection with OMBC. It is available here, although the summary appears below;

"Very few areas of Britain can boast of a continuous history from c.8000 BC to the present time and O.M.B.C. should be thinking more of preserving and promoting, rather than destroying the 'Jewel in the Crown'.

The archaeology contained within Saddleworth is highly regarded by local, regional and national Historians and Archaeologist together with the many visitors to the area who come in search of OMBC's past and recognise the very special nature of 'so much in such a small area'

The vast majority of Oldham's surviving Archaeological Heritage lies within the Saddleworth boundary - destroy this and what is left for future generations?

The Saddleworth Archaeological Trust cares passionately about the preservation of our Archaeological Heritage in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, and we, as Trustees, would ask that the Borough Planners and all the Council elected representatives please give serious consideration to the observations and opinions in this letter and refuse planning permission. "

 

The deadline for objections to the wind turbines has been extended to February 21st - so there is still time to get your letter in.

See "What can I do" for more details. This is because of the delayed delivery by United Utilities of the CD Roms with their proposals on them - a key part of the consultations.

 

PARISH COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE

This will take this coming Monday - Feb 2nd at the Civic Hall Uppermill at 7.30 pm - The meeting is open to the public and the press will be there - All Welcome!

 

Sir Bernard Ingham, Margaret Thatcher's former Press Secretary has agreed to support our campaign by speaking at a fund-raising dinner on Wednesday February 18th.

7.30 for 8.00 PM - Venue Saddleworth Hotel Huddersfield Road Delph

Tickets - £35 per head

We will need every penny to fight this scheme - especially if it goes to an inquiry as seems very likely.

It won't just be about windfarms - expect some interesting behind the scenes revelations from Sir B. The press and media will be in attendance.

See the newsletter for more information.

 

Saddleworth Moor Action Group's January Newsletter is available here.

 

In case you missed it in last Sunday's papers, A Judge has ruled that Wind Farms can ruin the peace of the countryside and destroy the value of nearby properties.

District Judge Michael Buckley (no relation to SMAG's Mike Buckley) has ruled that the noise, visual intrusion and flickering of light through the blades of turbines reduced the value of a house by a fifth.

He has told the sellers of a property in Marton near Ulverston in the Lake District to refund 20% of the price they paid back to the buyers of the house because the sellers had not informed them of plans to build a giant wind turbine some 500 metres from their home.

Ending the Myth This ruling is the first of its kind and severely damages the wind energy industry's assertion that 'it is a myth' that property prices are affected by Wind Farms

 

An example letter of objection is available here. It is better if the letters are written in your own words, although this example is ready to be signed and sent to OMBC should you prefer to use it.

This should be sent to arrive by February 4th at the latest and every member of a household can send one. It is not restricted to Oldham residents, either!

It is interesting to read in any case, as it lists the technical reasons for our objections to this application.

 

David Bellamy blasts wind farm "liars". From the Manchester Evening News.

 

Councillor Sutcliffe - head of OMBC planning committee says a public enquiry has "fairly high odds" as the application is a "departure from planning guidelines".

Appearing on the BBC1 program "The Politics Show" earlier today, Councillor Sutcliffe was interviewed after a clip of this week's public meeting. There were also brief interviews with Ken Hulme and our MP, Phil Woolas.

We must therefore expect a refusal from the committee on the grounds of this "departure from guidelines".

 

The Scout Moor development has now been declined by all four local authorities in the affected areas.

United Utilities - those champions of the environment - insist on pressing ahead with the application. One of the tenets of their building of wind turbines is that this will be with the "wishes of the local community". Maybe they should desist from making this claim?

 

The latest press release from Saddleworth Moor Action Group is available here.

 

United Utilities lodged their planning application for the proposed wind turbine in Denshaw/Delph yesterday(4th December) afternoon. As yet we are not sure about the time table Oldham MBC will be using to deal with this application.

The intention is that final planning decision would be given within 16 weeks and that any objections have to be made to planning within 21 days i.e. before 26th December!

We understand that objectors WILL be given more than 21 days to lodge their objections but this has yet to be confirmed. Saddleworth Civic Hall has been booked for a public meeting on the evening of Wednesday January 7th to help to mobilise opposition to the plans.

We also hope to have an extended Saddleworth Moor Action Group committee meeting next weekend - probably on Friday and probably at Oddfellows Hall in Denshaw - to be confirmed.

This is typical of the way this application has been handled. A cynical manipulation of the planning guidelines to attempt to "bounce" this through over the Christmas period.

The planning submission produced by UU is apparently several inches thick and only one copy has been handed in - the public have a right to see it but with only one copy they will have to look over one another's shoulders a lot. Should you wish to have a personal copy to read at your leisure then that will cost you £100 per copy.

 

Oldham Advertiser have joined the campaign against the wind turbines. "Denshaw Moor is no place for a wind farm ". Click here for the story.

 

United Utilities face more problems with their rushed application for wind turbines on Saddleworth Moor, as it becomes apparent that some of the land earmarked for storage is designated common land. Click here for a map outlining the area.

Ken Hulme's letter to Defra pointing this out is available here.

 

Another scheme has been defeated - click here for details

 

As predicted by the Saddleworth Moor Action Group some time ago, United Utilities have now altered their plans by dropping the 2 turbines intended for Castleshaw valley. This was always thought of as a deliberate inclusion to be dropped at a later date to create good publicity and was raised at the public meeting in October as a probability.

 

I have placed an archive on the site of articles connected to wind power issues. Click here for further details.

 

Wind Farms have topped a recent poll by Country Life magazine as the worst eyesores. They are disliked more than motorway service areas and conventional power stations. The full article may be read here.

 

Oldham council have published the revised UDP (see below). It is available here. Although objecting to this does not affect the turbine proposals at this stage, it will help stop the council ruining the whole of the countryside surrounding Oldham.

A simplified map showing the areas that Oldham is effectively inviting Wind Power Stations into is available here.

A form to be used to object to this is here. This must be sent to;

Strategic Planning & Information Services, OMBC Level 14, Civic Centre, PO Box 335, West St, Oldham OL1 1XL Fax 0161 9011 4162 or emailed by clicking here by the 3rd of December.

 

David Bellamy recently took part in a protest walk against the Scout Moor wind power station proposals. An article about it is available here.

 

Moray Council recently rejected Renewable Energy System's application for the 21 x 2MW site at Drummuir. The vote was unanimous. The site can be found here.

 

Oldham Council have released the new UDP (Unitary Development Plan) for the Oldham area.

This sets out how each part of the borough should be used in the future. It isn't entirely proscriptive - just a guide for planning uses. Unfortunately for anybody living near a hill, they are inviting development of wind farms of anywhere that isn't underwater or on a main road.

This is sarcasm, but the way in which they have arrived at this isn't too far from such a method. They have taken a map of the borough, drawn a line 500m away from any villages or towns.

They have then crossed out anywhere that isn't windy (i.e. above an average of about 7MPH wind). The rest is the area where developers are invited to submit applications for windfarms.

This includes Dovestones, Pots and Pans, Hartshead Pike, Tandle Hills etc.

If United Utilities get permission for ruining Castleshaw Valley and Denshaw Moor, then guess where will be next?

 

Press release 26/10/03

"Phil Woolas & Chris Davies to champion case against Wind Turbines in Saddleworth"

 

Letter from Phil Woolas 23/10

A letter of support from Phil Woolas, local MP and Government Minister

 

Press releases 19/10/03

"United Utilities PR exercise fails to convince local residents."

"Castleshaw Valley - Windfarm Threat to South Pennine Beauty Spot"