(FULL PLANNING APPLICATION) Proposal: ERECTION of 3 WIND
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DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT PANEL 17 DECEMBER 2012 Case No: 1200803FUL (FULL PLANNING APPLICATION) Proposal: ERECTION OF 3 WIND TURBINES UP TO A HEIGHT OF 125 METRES AND ASSOCIATED DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING METEOROLOGICAL MAST, CONTROL BUILDING, ELECTRICITY TRANSFORMERS, UNDERGROUND CABLING, TRACK, CRANE HARDSTANDINGS AND ALTERATIONS TO VEHICULAR ACCESS, FOR A PERIOD OF 25 YEARS Location: LAND NORTH WEST OF CHURCH FARM RECTORY LANE SOUTHOE Applicant: COMMON BARN WIND FARM LTD Grid Ref: 517295 265522 Date of Registration: 15.05.2012 Parish: SOUTHOE AND MIDLOE RECOMMENDATION - TO BE ADVISED AT OR BEFORE THE PANEL MEETING 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 The applicant company has lodged an appeal against non- determination of this application. The decision will now be made by an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State. As part of the appeal, the Local Planning Authority will need to set out its case. At the 17th December 2012 Development Management Panel meeting, the Panel is asked to indicate the decision it would have made on the application, which will then form the basis of the Local Planning Authority’s case at appeal. 2. DESCRIPTION OF SITE AND APPLICATION 2.1 The site is located approximately 1.4km to the north west of the village of Southoe and 0.7km to the south east of Grafham Water. The site area has been tightly defined and includes the existing farm access track from the A1 and land adjacent to the track, and the land occupied by the temporary construction compound and the 3 proposed wind turbines. The site is at an average elevation of 40m AOD in comparison with Grafham Water which is 45m AOD. The land is currently used for arable farming. The surrounding countryside is gently undulating with arable fields divided by hedgerows, farm tracks and areas of woodland. There are a number of Rights of Way in the vicinity of the site including the Three Shires Way and a bridleway track running north/south and then west of the site. The nearest properties to the site are Lodge Farm and Highfield Farm to the northeast and northwest respectively; Midloe Grange and Midloe Cottage to the southwest and south respectively; and Church Farm Cottages to the south east. 2.2 Further afield Huntingdon and St Neots are approximately 8.6km and 4km respectively from the site. Grafham Water, which covers 600 hectares, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and to the east on the other side of the A1 is Little Paxton Pits SSSI. Immediately to the south of Grafham Water are Anglian Water’s pumping station and water treatment works and HM Littlehey Prison. 2.3 This full application proposes the erection of 3 Wind Turbines up to 125 metres in height for an operational period of 25 years. They would have a hub height of approximately 80 metres and a rotor diameter of approximately 90 metres, have three blades and be pale grey in colour. It is proposed to site the turbines in the field immediately to the north west of the farm buildings known as Common Barn. Each turbine would have an area of hardstanding of approximately 16 m X 16 m in size adjacent. Also proposed is a permanent meteorological monitoring mast 80 metres high and this would be sited between turbines 3 and 2. The application also proposes a single storey control building 20m X 10m in size to be located adjacent to the main contractors temporary construction compound. The application also proposes that construction traffic will use the A1 existing grass track as the site entrance; this will be widened and given a tarmac surface. After this widened access track has crossed the unsurfaced road which runs north/south from Common Farm, there is no existing track and therefore a new access of the same width will be constructed to provide access to the turbines. 2.4 Underground cables will run from the turbines to a sub-station building which will house the equipment for the connection to the electricity network. To link the sub-station with the local electricity distribution network the nearest connection point is the 33kV line between Little Barford and Perry. This grid connection would be subject of a separate application under the Electricity Act 1989. 2.5 Construction traffic will take the form of ‘normal’ construction traffic, and abnormal loads which typically means the delivery of the turbine components. Both the ‘normal’ construction traffic and abnormal loads will access the site from the A1 site entrance. The temporary removal of street furniture at the A1 Buckden and Black Cat roundabouts may be required for the delivery of the larger components. 2.6 The Planning Statement states that each turbine would have an installed generating capacity between 2 MW and 3 MW. This would produce energy for up to 4,000 homes for the 25 year period. 2.7 The application is accompanied by an Environmental Statement and was originally submitted on 15 May 2012. On 17 September and 8 November 2012 officers wrote to the applicants requesting further information on transport and highways matters, landscape, heritage assets, wildlife and ecology and residential amenity issues. The second letter clarified that whilst all the information was still required, it was only the additional photomontages required for heritage and landscape, the archaeological trial trenching and the information about the financial involvement of the occupiers of Church Farm Cottages and Church Farm House which was required under Regulation 22 of the Environmental Assessment Regulations in order to make the ES complete. 2.8 At the time of writing this report the applicants have not formally responded, except for the submission of an amended traffic management plan. They have not formally submitted the additional photomontages requested by English Heritage but they have forwarded them to English Heritage on an informal basis for their comments. They have also submitted a certain level of information in relation to the financial involvement of the residential properties. 3. NATIONAL GUIDANCE 3.1 The National Planning Policy Framework (2012) sets out the three dimensions to sustainable development - an economic role, a social role and an environmental role - and outlines the presumption in favour of sustainable development. Under the heading of Delivering Sustainable Development, the Framework sets out the Government's planning policies for : building a strong, competitive economy; ensuring the vitality of town centres; supporting a prosperous rural economy; promoting sustainable transport; supporting high quality communications infrastructure; delivering a wide choice of high quality homes; requiring good design; promoting healthy communities; protecting Green Belt land; meeting the challenge of climate change, flooding and coastal change; conserving and enhancing the natural environment; conserving and enhancing the historic environment; and facilitating the sustainable use of minerals. 3.2 PPS22 Companion Guide 2004 – ‘Planning For Renewable Energy’ – provides practical and technical advice for all forms of renewable energy. Section 8 deals with on shore wind power and deals with issues of noise, landscape and visual impact, heritage assets, safety, proximity to roads, railways and power lines, ecology and ornithology, electromagnetic transmissions, shadow flicker and construction and operational disturbance. 3.3 Climate Change Act 2008 became law on 26 November 2008 and sets legally binding targets for reducing UK greenhouse Carbon Dioxide emissions for 2020 and 2050. 3.4 Renewable Energy Strategy 2009 – outlines the move to a low- carbon economy, and the need for a dramatic change in renewable energy use in electricity, heat and transport. 3.5 Energy Bill 2012 - this bill puts in place measures to attract the £110 billion investment which is needed to replace current generating capacity and upgrade the grid by 2020, and to cope with a rising demand for electricity. 3.6 Circular 1/2003: ‘Safeguarding Aerodromes etc’, Paragraph 15 of this circular gives advice on the safeguarding requirements for civil aerodromes. 3.7 English Heritage ‘Wind Energy and the Historic Environment 2005: aims to provide a strategic approach to the land-use planning system which will maximise the benefits of renewable energy projects, while minimising their adverse effects on the historic environment. 3.8 English Heritage ‘Conservation Principles Policy and Guidance April 2008’: sets out principles of Conservation. 3.9 English Heritage: ‘Climate Change and The Historic Environment 2008’: Developments designed to generate renewable energy – like any other infrastructure developments – can have a wide variety of impacts, both positive and negative, that vary from the insignificant to the unacceptable. The benefits delivered by these new technologies can also vary considerably, particularly when considered on a whole- life basis. It is always important, therefore, to evaluate these benefits and impacts on a case-by-case basis. Among typical issues that will need to be considered are: * The construction of new renewable energy infrastructure, including hydro-electric and tidal plants and onshore and offshore wind farms, may have direct impacts on archaeological remains. * Wind farms need to be carefully sited to avoid compromising significant landscapes or the visual setting of important sites or buildings where the integrity of that setting is an important part of their significance. 3.10 English Heritage: The Setting of Heritage Assets 2011 – currently under revision following the publication of the NPPF. 3.11 Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact