URGENT!
Ecotricity have submitted plans to build a giant wind farm at nearby Heckington. The application is for 28 turbines each of which will be 100 metres high (328 feet).
Objections have to be received by this Wednesday, 27th January 2010.
Any new approved wind farms will weaken the case against E.On's proposed wind farm at Billingborough & Horbling so please help our villages by objecting to the Heckington proposal.
You can view the planning application at North Kesteven's Planning website:
Planning Application Reference: 09/1067/S36
"Application for consent to construct and operate a wind energy electricity generating station on Land At Six Hundred Farm Six Hundred Drove East Heckington Lincolnshire"
Please feel free to use the information below to construct your own personal email letter of objection. Remember to include the application reference 09/1067/S36
- 28 Turbines.
- 100 metres / 328 feet high
- All applications have to include an Environmental Impact Assessment.
Ecotricity HAVE NOT THOUGHT IT NECESSARY TO SUBMIT ONE!
Below is BHATS official email objection to the Heckington proposal
Planning Office
North Kesteven District Council Offices
Kesteven Street
Sleaford
Lincs
NG34 7EF
25th January 2010
Dear Sirs,
On behalf of the action group, Billingborough and Horbling Against TurbineS (BHATs), I write to object to the planning application which Ecotricity has submitted to North Kesteven District Council for a large wind farm ('wind energy park'). As members of village communities close to Heckington, and under threat of an additional wind farm proposals (17 turbines by E.On) we are very well aware of the many issues at stake here. Permanent damage to the environment, noise pollution and other health issues and damage to health are of primary concern to those of us whose communities, lives and livelihoods are at threat from the waves of turbines planned for much of rural Lincolnshire.
Having had sight of a site plan, it would appear that the nearest houses are only c 1,000m from the nearest turbines. There could be very significant noise and shadow-flicker issues for the inhabitants of these properties, and - because of the sheer scale of the development - the cumulative effects of noise and shadow flicker from 28 or more turbines could be widespread across a larger area.
The new regulations, whereby developers submit applications for wind farms which 'plan' to generate over 50MW of power a year to the Department of Energy and Climate Change for consideration, instead of having decisions made at a local level, is further disenfranchising huge numbers of Lincolnshire residents. Your council has one of the last chances to arrive at a truly democratic decision on this large proposed wind farm - a decision which fairly which weighs up all the benefits and disadvantages - before the Infrastructure Planning Commission takes over on 1st March and simply follows Government dictate.
The arguments of developers who purport to ensure 'good design', minimum impact on villagers, heritage and the environment are hollow: these giant turbines are urbanising the agricultural landscapes of this county. We urge North Kesteven District Council to consider the very serious implications of allowing these massive developments to overtake the county, and object to this application as a result.
Chair
BHATS (Billingborough and Horbling Against TurbineS) Action Group
Other considerations:
- Constant low frequency noise can be extremely disturbing and result in serious health problems. The Fens, with their unpredictable acoustic properties, are an especially poor site for noisy industrial sites like wind farms due to the generally low level of background noise. Night-time noise pollution would be particularly unacceptable.
- Turbine noise can be turned up at night-time
- There is strong evidence that wind turbines within 2KM can cause health problems as a result of the constant noise. As these industrial turbines get larger and larger, this distance would increase. Currently there are no minimum legal requirements when it comes to building wind turbines near populated areas.
- Huge industrial turbines would be completely out of place and character with the local countryside and the village of Heckington. They would dominate the skyline and would be clearly visible for up to 10km around. Because of their rotating nature, they would distract all in their vicinity.
- The necessity of onshore wind farms, with their huge impact on local people’s lives, has been almost completely negated by the recent awarding of contracts to build very large offshore wind farms. These wind farms are designed to provide at least 25% of the entire country’s energy needs with minimal impact on local communities.
- There are schools in the area. Studying could be affected by low frequency noise pollution, shadow flicker and the general visual distraction of very large rotating turbines.
- A tribunal has already ruled that property values can be reduced by thousands of pounds for those living in the vicinity of wind farms. More wind farms can only make this situation worse.
- There are already a number of wind farms in existence nearby most notably those at Deeping St. Nicholas and Bicker. The existing wind farms are already a blight on the local countryside and residents. Some have even been forced to leave their home as a result. See 'Links' on this website.
- Flickering shadows are a known problem with wind turbines and, like other forms of flashing/flickering lights, can result in headaches and problems with concentration.
- There are accounts of interference with television and mobile phone reception near to existing wind farms.
- All wind farms require electricity pylons and power lines. These will have to be build over the countryside and possibly near to houses. But, the developer does not have to include these in the application to build a wind farm! Therefore the planners cannot object on the basis of damage caused by electricity pylons/lines. This is ridiculous as one is simply pointless without the other.
- If a developer simply 'says' that a wind farm would be larger than 50MW, then the planning application can be approved by central government. That is by a govenment who's stated objective is to build more wind farms. Local objections will not count. The local planning authority cannot turn the application down. If the developer then builds a smaller wind farm, they will have successfully by-passed the local planning regulations.
- Building a wind farm requires the building of new roads over previously undeveloped land. This land has then become 'urbanised' opening up the possibility of further building.
- Wind turbines are huge. The trucks used to transport them are huge. Their foundations require thousands of tons of concrete. The roads needed to take the huge trucks require thousands of tons of hardcore. All of this has to be transported on the existing local roads, often through small village streets. There would literally be thousands of truck journeys required to build a wind farm of this scale. Could your house stand the vibration damage? Could you stand the noise and pollution?
- Nearly all wind turbines are built abroad by foreign companies. There would be negligible economic benefit to the local communities in terms of jobs.
- The government uses taxpayers money to subsidise wind farms. Without these subsidies to foreign companies, onshore wind farms would be uneconomical to build.
- A wind turbine is 'green' though isn't it? In fact a wind turbine generates more C02 to build than it will ever save in its lifetime. In other words wind turbines generate additional C02! Those in government aren't stupid, they know this, but they have their targets. Do you want to pay for them?
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