of people visiting the area and 15% said What about the visual impact of wind East Riding of Yorkshire Council visitor numbers had increased, whilst turbines? County Hall only 1% thought visitor numbers had Beverley A significant proportion of the British decreased as a result of the wind farm East Riding of Yorkshire ROOS NEWS 3 population finds wind turbines attractive (BWEA 2006). HU17 9BA to look at. Great care is taken in site Q&A Tel: 01482 393939 selection and design to minimise visual impact. At the end of their design life of Fax: 01482 393375 Why build wind farms onshore, when February 2009 25 years – unlike fossil and nuclear Withernsea Library there are other opportunities such as power generation – wind turbines can offshore wind, tidal or wave power? Queen Street be quickly removed. Withernsea In this section, we provide answers to So far, onshore wind is one of only a few As part of the planning consent for a East Riding of Yorkshire many of the most commonly asked renewable technologies to have become wind farm, a condition or agreement is HU19 2HH questions about wind farms. To lodge economically competitive with normally put in place to cover the costs Tel: 01964 612537 your own questions or comments please conventional supplies. It is commercially of turbine removal and re-instatement Roos Wind Farm update get in touch using the contact details ready to start meeting our targets and of the site. Beverley Library In 2006, RES submitted a planning application to erect 11 turbines, on land around provided in this newsletter or log on to international obligations right now. Champney Road Sunderland Farm, between Roos and Burton Pidsea. The application was the result www.roos-windfarm.co.uk Onshore wind is the most advanced, Beverley of over 4 years of intensive work by RES, during which time the site’s suitability and proven and economic renewable energy Do wind farms cause any noise Eat Riding of Yorkshire detailed environmental aspects had been assessed. technology. Turbines generate electricity problems? HU17 8HE How do wind farms influence tourism? Tel: 01482 392750 for about 85% of the time. The No, this is a common misconception and The East Riding of Yorkshire Council turned down the planning application in The evidence from wind farms operated technology is beautifully simple, and modern wind farms should not cause a December 2007, mainly due to its concerns over visual impacts. provided it is well-maintained, very Hedon Library by RES, and others, suggests that the noise nuisance. You can hold a normal St Augustine Gate general public is often interested in reliable. Offshore wind has a part to play conversation directly below the blades. Despite this refusal, RES firmly believes that this is a good site for a wind farm and too, but it’s not a case of one or the Hedon visiting wind farms, particularly in a East Riding of Yorkshire for the past year, we have been working hard to resolve the issues which were holiday area. Where provision is made, other - we will need significant numbers highlighted by the Council in its refusal. As a result of this work, we submitted a Can wind farms affect television HU12 8EX wind farms can prove to be tourist of both onshore and offshore wind new planning application in December 2008. reception? Tel: 01482 897651 attractions that can bring positive farms. financial benefits to local businesses. For While tidal and wave technologies lag There is a chance that, in some isolated Copies of the Environmental Statement example, every year the Scroby Sands many years behind wind in terms of locations, poor reception could be will also be made available at Beverley visitor centre in Great Yarmouth attracts commercial viability, it is expected that further degraded, although our studies and Withernsea Council Customer What’s being proposed? over 35,000 visitors keen to find out have shown that this is very unlikely to both will play their part in the future in Service Centres. In response to the Council’s concerns over the potential visual impact of the wind more about the 30 turbine wind farm achieving a balanced mix of renewable occur. Solutions are generally simple and You can also download a copy of the farm as a whole and its concerns over potential visual impacts on the Constable commissioned in March 2004. energy generation. RES is experienced in identifying and rectifying any problems caused by the non technical summary of the Mausoleum, we have removed two of the turbines from the plans, and are now The visitor centre at RES’s head office, wind farm. Environmental Statement from the Roos proposing to erect 9 turbines, instead of the original 11. Beaufort Court, holds an annual open Wind Farm website: How does the supply of electricity from day for local residents to see inside the www.roos-windfarm.co.uk Each turbine will have three blades and will have a maximum height of 126.5m. wind farms fit in with existing supply turbine and learn about Renewable or request a copy of it from RES’s offices. The ratings of the turbines could be up to 2.3MW each, giving a potential installed Energy. In the first two years this How long do wind farms take to pay and demand? capacity of 20.7MW for the site. Government wind modelling data1 suggests that attracted around 2,000-3,000 visitors on back the energy used to manufacture You may wish to comment on our plans. Seasonally, windy weather tends to the proposed wind farm is likely to generate enough green electricity to power one day, with subsequent visitor days and erect them? If so, please write to the Planning mirror periods of high electricity approximately 11,900 homes, equivalent to 9% of the annual consumption of all restricted due to numbers due to the Officer: consumption and claims that 100% back A wind farm, like the one proposed the houses in East Riding (based on 2001 UK census data). Site specific wind speed size of the site. In addition, on average Hannah Coldwell up is needed are simply not true. Wind here, will typically recoup the energy measurements have been carried out by RES which indicate that this figure could over a year around 2,500 visitors come to used in its manufacture and Principal Development Control Officer farms add to the diversity and security of be even higher in reality. the office on accompanied visits from our energy supply. Undoubtedly, flexible construction, in a period of less than a Strategic Development Control local community groups to schools and year. Over its 25 year life, that means the East Riding of Yorkshire Council plant, such as impounded or pumped The plan (top right) shows updated layout of the proposed 9 turbines and the colleges. wind farm will produce up to 25 times County Hall storage hydro or fossil-based stations, bottom right plan shows the location of the site within East Riding. Independent public attitude surveys are needed to provide balancing. That’s more energy than was needed in its Beverley creation. HU17 9BA were carried out in 1997 and 1998 a service they currently provide, to We are maintaining the same access route (so avoiding the villages) and the same respectively among residents living near You must quote the planning reference complement the relative inflexibility of grid connection route, as these were particular strengths of the project. to the Taff Ely Wind Farm, Mid nuclear which serves the so-called base- number 08/05692/STPLFE in all Glamorgan and near to the Novar Estate load function. Different generation How will the Planning Application be correspondence. Wind Farm, near Alness. The surveys methods complement each other rather dealt with? The Planning Officer will also consult found that in terms of people visiting than compete. It will be dealt with as an entirely new authorities such as Natural England, the Why is this a good site for a wind farm? the area, 62% said the Novar Estate planning application by the East Riding Environment Agency and other Council RES has always had absolute confidence that this is an excellent site for a wind wind farm has had no effect and 16% of Yorkshire Council. We have produced departments such as Highways and farm. Finding suitable sites is a complex and time consuming process. The land said visitor numbers had increased, a new and comprehensive Environmental Rights of Way. The Planning Officer’s around Sunderland Farm was identified as a good location for a wind farm in whilst no-one thought visitor numbers Statement, which has been made final report will be presented to the country-wide surveys of potential English wind farm locations carried out by RES. had decreased as a result of the wind available to all consultees and deposited elected members of the East Riding of farm. At Taff Ely, 68% said the wind in the following locations for public Yorkshire Council’s Planning Committee, farm had had no effect on the number viewing: some time in 2009, and the planning RES’s site selection process seeks to identify sites where a good wind resource is application will be decided by vote. balanced with environmental, technical and other constraining factors. Sites are designed to maintain minimum distances from houses, to have good transport access and a suitable connection point to the electricity grid. We seek to ensure that the environmental impacts of the wind farm will be absolutely minimal, and this rules out large areas of the country which are designated for landscape or conservation reasons.