Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to respond on the Have Your Say section of the website, or who attended the public exhibition on the 17th September at Strensham Village Hall, or who returned one of the questionnaires available at the public exhibition. 

Following, in no particular order, is a summary of the key issues and concerns raised to date and our responses.

Noise from the proposed turbines

Many people have raised a concern that the proposed turbines will generate noise at levels that may lead to disturbance at their houses.  The issue of noise is something that we take very seriously and to a large degree dictates the separation distance we apply between turbines and the nearest houses, which in this instance is in excess of 650 metres.  Based on our experience at other sites, this separation distance should stop noise from being problematic, and indeed it is a greater separation distance than has been successfully used at other sites.

To fully address this issue we have commissioned an independent noise impact assessment, undertaken in accordance with the guidelines stipulated by the ETSU-R-97 report The Assessment and Rating of Noise from Wind Farms, a copy can be downloaded here.  The report will be submitted with the planning application, when it is lodged, and as such will be available for viewing at that time.  We recommend that people reserve their judgement on the noise impact of the turbines until the report becomes available.

The turbines will be a blot on the landscape

Clearly, the issue of whether or not wind turbines have an adverse impact on the landscape is a subjective issue, and the matter of some debate. In this case, we firmly believe that in terms of landscape and visual impact, the proposed development will not have a significant adverse effect on the environment. This is due to a number of factors, including its proximity to the M50 and M5 motorways, the high level of screening provided by both topography and trees, and the fact that the site does not lie within a protected landscape area (eg an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty).

In addition, given that wind turbines represent a quick and cost effective way of producing renewable energy.  Therefore, it is suggested that any adverse affects the proposed turbines are perceived to have on the landscape should be weighed against the benefits of the renewable energy generated, including increased security of energy supply and combatting the causes of climate change. Furthermore, we would like to point out that we intend only to seek a temporary planning consent to cover the lifetime of the turbines (25 years).  After this time, it is possible that new technologies will have emerged that will enable renewable energy generation by other means. In the event that this happens, the turbines would be removed and the site restored to its original use.

These arguments notwithstanding, we have committed to undertaking a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment in support of the planning application, in accordance with best practice and prepared by independent consultants. As with the noise impact assessment, the LVIA will be available for viewing once the planning application is lodged, and we recommend that people reserve judgement on the potential landscape impact until such time as the report is available.

Why don't you show any predicted views from Upper Strensham and Twynning?

At the time of the public exhibition it was not possible to display large scale photomontages showing predicted views from Upper Strensham and Twynning.  Since then, a predicted view from the footpath from Upper Strensham leading towards the turbine locations has been uploaded onto this website, it can be accessed from the 'Predicted Views' and 'Picture Gallery' sections.  Additional viewpoints will be added as they are produced, and they will also be subjected to assessement in the LVIA referred to above.

Upper Strensham is in Wychavon District Council (Worcs), but the application will be in Tewkesbury Borough Council (Glos) so our opinions won't be heard

Once the application for the wind cluster is lodged with Tewkesbury Borough Council, they will consult with the local community prior to making any determination.  Anyone can submit a consultation response to Tewkesbury Borough Council and all consultations will have equal weight, irrespective of which Council area they live in.  If you are still concerned about this issue please contact the Council directly and discuss the matter with them.

The website doesn't give the turbine dimensions

The turbine dimensions are given in the opening paragraph of the 'Facts and Figures' section.  These are now depcited in bold to ensure that they are more apparent.

My online consultation confirmation states my views are "unknown" when I said "I don't support it"  

There was a temporary bug in the 'Have Your Say' section of the website, once this was brought to our attention we rectified the problem.  Any report that is submitted detailing the public consultation we have undertaken will note this temporary problem, nevertheless all text provided in the 'comments' boxes came through to us correctly and we have considered the statements made and issues raised.  Any future responses through the 'Have Your Say' section of the website will come through to us correctly.

Property prices are affected by wind energy development

While it is not the purpose of the planning system to protect the value of private property, evidence from operating wind farms in England, Wales and Scotland demonstrates that there is no clear evidence suggesting wind farms have a material effect on house prices. We are aware of several reports relating to impacts on house prices, the most recent being research published by RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors).  A copy of the RICS report can be downloaded here.

The Edinburgh Solicitor’s Property Centre (ESPC) have also conducted an analysis of relative movements in residential property prices in areas surrounding Crystal Rig wind farm, over a seven-year period from 2000 to 2006. There was some evidence to suggest that property rise inflation in Dunbar was accelerated once plans for the Crystal Rig wind farm were approved. In the twelve months after planning permission for the farm was granted, the average price of property rose in the town by 53.2% as compared to 24.0% overall in East Lothian.  Results from the ESPC report can be viewed here.

Wind energy is expensive

Wind energy currently receives financial support in the form of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs), which has led many people to believe that it is not economical, and that it does not provide a good return on capital investment. This viewpoint is both misinformed and misleading, for a number of reasons.

First, it is crucial that the UK diversifies its energy mix. This is important not only to combat climate change, but also to ensure that we are able to ensure security of supply. The system of ROCs is a way of creating market demand for renewable energy technologies. It depends not on government subsidies, but instead passes the extra costs on to the consumer, and goes some way to correcting the fact that energy produced from fossil fuels bares ‘hidden’ costs; namely, the contribution made to climate change.

Second, wind is a free, clean and renewable fuel which will never run out. Once installed, the only costs are operation and maintenance, and fixed costs such as land rental and local rates. In contrast, the cost of producing energy from gas, coal and oil (which together provide around 73% of the UK’s electricity) has risen substantially in the past years.

Third, developments in engineering have produced a range of larger, more efficient turbines that allow more efficient operation at a range of different wind speeds, including low wind speeds.

Lastly, the cost of financing wind energy schemes has fallen dramatically as lenders have gained confidence in the technology. Economically therefore, wind energy is becoming an increasingly attractive form of energy generation.

Wind energy requires back-up from traditional generation and therefore doesn't save any greenhouse gas emissions

All electricity generation requires back-up, the extent of that back-up is commensurate to the size and types of electricity generators on line, so that if a particular electricity generator/s were to fail or go off line there would be sufficient back-up capacity to meet demand (this back-up, or capacity margin, is currently 15% of total generation).  A recent report by Poyry Energy Consulting titled Implications of the UK Meeting its 2020 Renewable Energy Target (August 2008), concluded that not until after 2020 is there a requirement for new generation to maintain suffiicient capacity margin (presuming renewable energy targets are met), it also goes on to say that a "no-wind scenario is a very-low probability event".  A copy of the Poyry report can be downloaded here.

Some may recall the wide spread black-outs that occurred in May 2008, these were the result of two traditional electricity generators unexpectedly going offline at the same time (Sizewell B - nuclear, and Longannet - coal fired).  Increased renewable energy generation, including from wind energy, will create a more robust system with smaller, and geographcially dispersed generators, less susceptible to large scale outages, particularly if you consider the low probability of a no-wind day as stated in the Poyry report.