Application for Planning Permission. Town and Country Planning Act 1990

Publication of applications on planning authority websites. Please note that the information provided on this application form and in supporting documents may be published on the Authority’s website. If you require any further clarification, please contact the Authority’s planning department.

1. Applicant Name, Address and Contact Details

Title: Mr First name: Tim Surname: Blackshaw

Company name Country National Extension Street address: Walnut Tree Farm Code Number Number Northwich Road Telephone number:

Lower Stretton Mobile number: Town/City Warrington Fax number: County:

Country: Email address:

Postcode: WA4 4PG

Are you an agent acting on behalf of the applicant? Yes No

2. Agent Name, Address and Contact Details

Title: Ms First Name: Sally Surname: Bowdler

Company name: CMS UK Country National Extension Street address: CMS UK The Old Dairy Code Number Number Spring Farm Business Centre Telephone number: 01270 522645

Moss Lane Minshull Vernon Mobile number: Town/City Crewe Fax number: County: Cheshire

Country: United Kingdom Email address:

Postcode: CW1 4RJ [email protected]

3. Description of the Proposal

Please describe the proposed development including any change of use: Installation of a single wind turbine in a field to the west of Walnut Tree Farm to generate and supply Walnut Tree Farm with renewable energy.

Has the building, work or change of use already started? Yes No

Ref: 04: 2309 Planning Portal Reference: 4. Site Address Details Full postal address of the site (including full postcode where available) Description:

House: Suffix: Installation of a single wind turbine in a field to the west of Walnut Tree Farm to generate and supply Walnut Tree Farm with renewable energy. House name: Walnut Tree Farm

Street address: Northwich Road Lower Stretton

Town/City: Warrington

County:

Postcode: WA4 4PG

Description of location or a grid reference (must be completed if postcode is not known):

Easting: 362067

Northing: 381233

5. Pre-application Advice Has assistance or prior advice been sought from the local authority about this application? Yes No

If Yes, please complete the following information about the advice you were given (this will help the authority to deal with this application more efficiently):

Officer name: Title: Mr First name: Steve Surname: Smith

Reference: 2010/16867

Date (DD/MM/YYYY): (Must be pre-application submission)

Details of the pre-application advice received: This application is a re-submission following comments and concerns raised from application 2010/16867. All conerns and comments have been addressed within this application.

6. Pedestrian and Vehicle Access, Roads and Rights of Way

Is a new or altered vehicle access proposed to or from the public highway? Yes No

Is a new or altered pedestrian access proposed to or from the public highway? Yes No

Are there any new public roads to be provided within the site? Yes No

Are there any new public rights of way to be provided within or adjacent to the site? Yes No

Do the proposals require any diversions/extinguishments and/or creation of rights of way? Yes No

7. Waste Storage and Collection

Do the plans incorporate areas to store and aid the collection of waste? Yes No

Have arrangements been made for the separate storage and collection of recyclable waste? Yes No

8. Authority Employee/Member

With respect to the Authority, I am: (a) a member of staff (b) an elected member (c) related to a member of staff (d) related to an elected member Do any of these statements apply to you? Yes No

9. Materials

Please state what materials (including type, colour and name) are to be used externally (if applicable):

Walls - description: Description of existing materials and finishes: n/a Description of proposed materials and finishes: n/a

Ref: 04: 2309 Planning Portal Reference: 9. (Materials continued)

Roof - description: Description of existing materials and finishes: n/a Description of proposed materials and finishes: n/a Windows - description: Description of existing materials and finishes: n/a Description of proposed materials and finishes: n/a Doors - description: Description of existing materials and finishes: n/a Description of proposed materials and finishes: n/a Boundary treatments - description: Description of existing materials and finishes: n/a Description of proposed materials and finishes: n/a Vehicle access and hard standing - description: Description of existing materials and finishes: n/a Description of proposed materials and finishes: n/a Lighting - add description Description of existing materials and finishes: n/a Description of proposed materials and finishes: n/a Others - description: Type of other material:

Description of existing materials and finishes: n/a Description of proposed materials and finishes: The tower to be installed is a tapered self supporting galvanised steel structure and is painted dull white. The nacelle and blades are white.

Are you supplying additional information on submitted plan(s)/drawing(s)/design and access statement? Yes No If Yes, please state references for the plan(s)/drawing(s)/design and access statement: Appendix 1 - Location Plan Appendix 2 – Site Plan Appendix 3- Equipment Elevations & Summary of Wind Turbine Specification Appendix 4 - Manufactures Information and Wind Turbine Diagrams Appendix 5- Site Photo Montages Appendix 6 – Telecommunications Response Appendix 7- Noise Data Appendix 8- MOD Responses Appendix 9- Consultation to WBC Nature Conservation Appendix 10- Envirolink Northwest File Room Report Appendix 11- Consultation with CheshireWest and Chester

10. Vehicle Parking

Please provide information on the existing and proposed number of on-site parking spaces: Existing number Total proposed (including spaces Difference in Type of vehicle of spaces retained) spaces Cars 0 0 0 Light goods vehicles/public carrier vehicles 0 0 0 Motorcycles 0 0 0 Disability spaces 0 0 0 Cycle spaces 0 0 0 Other (e.g. Bus) 0 0 0 Short description of Other

Ref: 04: 2309 Planning Portal Reference: 11. Foul Sewage

Please state how foul sewage is to be disposed of:

Mains sewer Package treatment plant Unknown

Septic tank Cess pit Other n/a Are you proposing to connect to the existing drainage system? Yes No Unknown

12. Assessment of Flood Risk

Is the site within an area at risk of flooding? (Refer to the Environment Agency's Flood Map showing flood zones 2 and 3 and consult Environment Agency standing advice and your local planning authority requirements for information as necessary.) Yes No If Yes, you will need to submit an appropriate flood risk assessment to consider the risk to the proposed site.

Is your proposal within 20 metres of a watercourse (e.g. river, stream or beck)? Yes No

Will the proposal increase the flood risk elsewhere? Yes No

How will surface water be disposed of?

Sustainable drainage system Main sewer Pond/lake

Soakaway Existing watercourse

13. Biodiversity and Geological Conservation

To assist in answering the following questions refer to the guidance notes for further information on when there is a reasonable likelihood that any important biodiversity or geological conservation features may be present or nearby and whether they are likely to be affected by your proposals.

Having referred to the guidance notes, is there a reasonable likelihood of the following being affected adversely or conserved and enhanced within the application site, OR on land adjacent to or near the application site:

a) Protected and priority species

Yes, on the development site Yes, on land adjacent to or near the proposed development No

b) Designated sites, important habitats or other biodiversity features

Yes, on the development site Yes, on land adjacent to or near the proposed development No

c) Features of geological conservation importance

Yes, on the development site Yes, on land adjacent to or near the proposed development No

14. Existing Use Please describe the current use of the site: Agricultural Is the site currently vacant? Yes No If Yes, please describe the last use of the site: Agricultural

When did this use end (if known) (DD/MM/YYYY)? Does the proposal involve any of the following? If yes, you will need to submit an appropriate contamination assessment with your application. Land which is known to be contaminated? Yes No Land where contamination is suspected for all or part of the site? Yes No A proposed use that would be particularly vulnerable to the presence of contamination? Yes No

15. Trees and Hedges

Are there trees or hedges on the proposed development site? Yes No

And/or: Are there trees or hedges on land adjacent to the proposed development site that could influence the development or might be important as part of the local landscape character? Yes No If Yes to either or both of the above, you may need to provide a full Tree Survey, at the discretion of your local planning authority. If a Tree Survey is required, this and the accompanying plan should be submitted alongside your application. Your local planning authority should make clear on its website what the survey should contain, in accordance with the current 'BS5837: Trees in relation to construction - Recommendations'.

16. Trade Effluent

Does the proposal involve the need to dispose of trade effluents or waste? Yes No

Ref: 04: 2309 Planning Portal Reference: 17. Residential Units

Does your proposal include the gain or loss of residential units? Yes No

18. All Types of Development: Non-residential Floorspace

Does your proposal involve the loss, gain or change of use of non-residential floorspace? Yes No

19. Employment

If known, please complete the following information regarding employees:

Full-time Part-time Equivalent number of full-time

Existing employees 0 0 0 Proposed employees 0 0 0

20. Hours of Opening

If known, please state the hours of opening for each non-residential use proposed:

Monday to Friday Saturday Sunday and Bank Holidays Not Use Start Time End Time Start Time End Time Start Time End Time Known

21. Site Area

What is the site area? 00.07 hectares

22. Industrial or Commercial Processes and Machinery

Please describe the activities and processes which would be carried out on the site and the end products including plant, ventilation or air conditioning. Please include the type of machinery which may be installed on site: Installation of a single 11kw Gaia 18m tower wind turbine in a field to the west of Walnut Tree Farm to generate and supply Walnut Tree Farm with renewable energy. Is the proposal for a waste management development? Yes No

23. Hazardous Substances

Is any hazardous waste involved in the proposal? Yes No

24. Site Visit

Can the site be seen from a public road, public footpath, bridleway or other public land? Yes No

If the planning authority needs to make an appointment to carry out a site visit, whom should they contact? (Please select only one)

The agent The applicant Other person

25. Certificates (Certificate A) Certificate of Ownership - Certificate A Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2010 Certificate under Article 12 I certify/The applicant certifies that on the day 21 days before the date of this application nobody except myself/ the applicant was the owner (owner is a person with a freehold interest or leasehold interest with at least 7 years left to run) of any part of the land or building to which the application relates.

Title: Mr First name: Tim Surname: Blackshaw

Person role: Applicant Declaration date: 16/03/2011 Declaration made

25. Certificates (Agricultural Land Declaration) Agricultural Land Declaration Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2010 Certificate under Article 12 Agricultural Land Declaration - You Must Complete Either A or B (A) None of the land to which the application relates is, or is part of an agricultural holding.

(B) I have/The applicant has given the requisite notice to every person other than myself/the applicant who, on the day 21 days before the date of this application, was a tenant of an agricultural holding on all or part of the land to which this application relates, as listed below:

If any part of the land is an agricultural holding, of which the applicant is the sole tenant, the applicant should complete part (B) of the form by writing 'sole tenant - not applicable' in the first column of the table below

Title: Mr First Name: Tim Surname: Blackshaw

Person role: Applicant Declaration date: 16/03/2011 Declaration Made

Ref: 04: 2309 Planning Portal Reference: 26. Declaration I/we hereby apply for planning permission/consent as described in this form and the accompanying plans/drawings and additional information.

Date 16/03/2011

Ref: 04: 2309 Planning Portal Reference: Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

Supporting Statement

This document supports a planning application submitted to Warrington Borough Council via the online Planning Portal.

For the installation of a single Gaia (11kW) Wind Turbine at:

Walnut Tree Farm, Northwich Road, Lower Stretton, Warrington WA4 4PG

Applicants: T J Blackshaw & Partners

Statement Prepared by:

S Bowdler CMS UK Spring Farm Business Centre Moss Lane Minshull Vernon Crewe Cheshire CW1 4RJ

Tel: 01270 522645 Fax: 01270 522119 Date: 14th March 2011

Page 1 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

Contents:

List of Appendices ...... 3

SECTION A Introduction ...... 4 The Applicant ...... 4 Reasons for the Application ...... 4

SECTION B Supporting Planning Policy ...... 6 International and UK ...... 6 Regional ...... 9 Local ...... 9 Compliance with Policy ...... 11

SECTION C Design and Access Statement ...... 12 Location and Situation ...... 12 Scale and Appearance ...... 12 Technical Aspects of the Site ...... 12 Construction ...... 13 Access for Construction Works ...... 13 Highway Safety Standards ...... 14 Technology suppliers and installers ...... 14

SECTION D Impact Assessment of the Single Micro – generation Wind Turbine in accordance with LP guidance ...... 15 Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment ...... 15 Cumulative Effect ...... 16 Impact on Amenities of Local Residents ...... 16 Noise Impact ...... 17 Biodiversity and Wildlife ...... 18 Bats and birds ...... 18 Public Rights of Way ...... 19 Physical Impacts ...... 21 Soils and Hydrology ...... 21 Potential Adverse Impacts on Local Development ...... 21 Cultural Heritage ...... 21 Community ...... 22 Telecommunications Interference ...... 22 Aircraft and Radar ...... 22 Pollution ...... 22

SECTION E Economic Statements ...... 23 National & Regional Support ...... 23 Department of Energy and Climate Change & new Feed-In Tariff (FITs) ...... 23 Local Economy and Employment ...... 23

Page 2 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

SECTION F Conclusion ...... 25

Appendices List of Appendices

Appendix 1 - Location Plan

Appendix 2 – Site Plan

Appendix 3- Equipment Elevations & Summary of Wind Turbine Specification

Appendix 4 - Manufactures Information and Wind Turbine Diagrams Appendix 5- Site Photo Montages

Appendix 6 – Telecommunications Response

Appendix 7- Noise Data

Appendix 8- MOD Responses

Appendix 9- Consultation to WBC Nature Conservation

Appendix 10- Envirolink Northwest File Room Report

Appendix 11- Consultation with CheshireWest and Chester

Page 3 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

SECTION A Introduction This document supports a planning application submitted to Warrington Borough Council via the online Planning Portal. This is a revised application which addresses the issues raised with the original application validated on 12th August 2010 and withdrawn on 6th September 2010.

The Applicant

The Blackshaw family have been farming at Walnut Tree Farm since the early 1900’s, and today the dairy farm is now run by Mr Tim Blackshaw who took over the farm in 1988.

The dairy farming enterprise at Walnut Tree Farm covers some 255 acres (103 ha) on which they are the owner/occupiers plus an additional 100 acres (40ha) which is rented. There are 210 head of cattle kept on the farm comprising 140 milking cows and 70 dairy followers. Cropping comprises grassland, arable crops and maize harvested as silage to feed the livestock. There are at present two full time and one part time members of staff employed on the farm, in addition to labour provided by the Blackshaw family. The farm buildings are modern and up to date, and this is a well run efficient dairy unit. There are buildings on the site which are used for a separate business of File Document Storage which currently employs two full time staff. The farming and the File documentation business are very large electricity consumers and the power is currently supplied through the farm meter but billed separately.

Mr Blackshaw has also undertaken farm diversification with conversion of some his farm buildings into office space which was completed last year, all the offices are occupied. There is also a farm shop which has been operating at Walnut Tree farm for four years.

Reasons for the Application

Please note that Paragraph 20 of the Supplement to Planning Policy Statement PPS1, in referring to LPA’s developing their core strategy and supporting local development documents, indicates that LPA’s should not require applicants for energy development to demonstrate the overall need for renewable energy. However, the reasons for this application are explained below. There are many reasons why the Blackshaw family are proposing to install a single Gaia wind turbine.

The Blackshaw family are aiming towards a self sustaining, low carbon footprint farming system, which the proposed wind turbine will help them achieve, by offsetting the green energy that the wind turbine will produce, against the ‘Carbon Footprint’ which the farm produces in the use of fossil fuels for heat and power.

Page 4 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

Due to the low income from farming, many farmers have a need to diversify to secure a more substantial profit. The wind turbine is also a form of diversification, and the additional income generated by the wind turbine project will help produce and secure added income, allowing the applicants to invest further into their business which will secure the existing and future employment on the farm.

It should also be noted that this application is not just for the benefit of the applicants, but also to address increasing pressures from milk companies and the international and UK government, on farmers to reduce their carbon footprint.

Both the UK government and governments across the world are increasing their focus on energy security and combating climate change and are beginning to pressure farmers to take action to secure energy and reduce their carbon footprint. For example the upcoming CAP reform 2013 (discussed in section B).

As a dairy farmer our client is also under increased pressure from the company they supply with milk to introduce renewable energy systems and to reduce their individual carbon footprint on the farm. This in turn will more than likely affect the applicant’s milk price, and therefore improving their profitability. With the introduction of renewable and carbon efficient technologies on farm, this will make renewing milk supply contracts with dairy companies more attainable for the farmer. Mr Blackshaw is part of the Tesco Sustainable Group.

In April 2010 Mr Blackshaw had Envirolink Northwest carry out a report on the feasibility of a wind turbine at Walnut Tree farm, this included wind guidance note, estimated payback calculations, finance options, initial grid connection information, supplier details and this can be seen in the appendices.

Therefore the Blackshaw’s are proposing the installation of a single wind turbine at Walnut Tree Farm to generate renewable electricity. It is considered that by installing the proposed Gaia wind turbine, the objectives of reducing the farms carbon footprint, becoming more self-sufficient and producing a secure diversified income onto the farm will be achieved.

Why a wind turbine?

Installing a single wind turbine on the farm is considered the best option of renewable energy production on this farm. The Department of Energy and Climate Change website wind speed tool has been used and indicates a wind speed of 5.6m/s, an “excellent” wind speed for a micro generation wind turbine.

Micro wind turbine technology is also well developed and proven to give great results. Photovoltaic (PV) cells are based on complex technology and a large surface area of cells is required to create electricity, having a potentially greater visual impact than a single wind turbine. It is also the case that a micro wind turbine is more suited to the practices of a dairy farm than all other forms of renewable energy, for example a biomass combined

Page 5 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm heat and power system produces heat, which is not required in large quantities on such a farm. It must also be highlighted that wind turbines produce renewable electricity all year round, day and night. This makes the wind turbine a very suitable form of renewable technology on a dairy farm for peak demand at milking times during dark winter mornings and evenings.

The electricity from the wind turbine will replace/reduce mains electric supplied to the farm. Any surplus electricity will be fed through into the National Grid for distribution. This will be achieved via the three phase electric supply which exists at Walnut Tree Farm. The local electricity supplier at Walnut Tree Farm is Scottish Power.

SECTION B

Supporting Planning Policy

The relevant planning policies and directives effecting this planning application are set out below for reference during the planning process.

International and UK In 1997 the Kyoto Protocol was adopted by most countries in the world, including the UK, committing these countries to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.

Production of power from fossil fuels is a prime contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Britain's emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, rose by 2.2% in the year 2002-2003, according to government data released in March 2005. It was concluded that this was because of the reduction of the cost of coal by 8%. It was stated that:

“Unless the government takes control of UK emissions and starts delivering substantial year-on-year reductions, the target will be impossible to reach… The heart of the problem is that although CO2 emissions from industry have fallen - partly as a result of measures like the Climate Change Levy, a pollution tax - they are rising from other sectors.”

The UK has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% between 2008 and 2012 against a 1990 baseline figure. Further, the Climate Change Act of 2008 committed the UK to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an upgraded 80% by 2020, a challenging and European-leading target1.

Farming has been targeted as both part of the problem and solution of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions as it produces about 8% of them in the UK. The UK target is to reduce

1 Source: Dairy Supply Chain Forum’s Sustainable Consumption and Production Taskforce: The Milk Road Map, One Year Down the Road, August 2009.

Page 6 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

GHG emissions by 80% by 2050 and the ‘roadmap’ to doing this declares that farming GHG emissions must drop by 3million tonnes by 2020.

The UK government has set figures for the proportion of electricity generated from renewable energy going forwards. The UK commitment to the European Union is to generate 15% of its energy requirements (electricity, heat and transport) from renewable sources by 2020. From current UK levels this is the biggest growth target set in Europe. The government is hoping that policies introduced in the Renewable Energy Strategy (RES) and Low Carbon Transition Plan, published in July 2009 will enable the UK to meet even higher levels, as shown in Table 1, below:

Table 1 - UK Renewable Energy Contribution Year Target Actual 2007 4.9% 2010 10% 2020 30%

Climate change is becoming an increasing important element of the Common Agricultural Policy, and EU commissioners are already speculating that Climate Change is likely to be part of the new policy after the CAP reform 2013. They have stated that:

“The aim is to change the criteria to reflect the Common Agricultural Policy objectives, such as reducing climate change”

This likely change in policy puts pressure on farmers, like our client to introduce renewable energy systems.

The UK government have now offered incentives for farmers to help combat the GHG emission target and to reduce the carbon footprint of farms.

The UK government has adapted policies to support the development of renewable energy production. (PPS22), Planning Policy Statements (PPS22) is a statement from the British Government's national policy and principles towards certain aspects of the town planning framework. PPS22, Renewable Energy, 2004, states that:

“Renewable energy developments should be capable of being accommodated throughout England in locations where the technology is viable and environmental, economic, and social impacts can be addressed satisfactorily.” and:

“Increased development of renewable energy is vital to facilitating the delivery of UK commitments on both climate change and renewable energy”, and:

Page 7 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

“Local development documents should contain policies designed to promote and encourage, rather than restrict, the development of renewable energy resources.” and:

“Local planning authorities and developers should consider the opportunity for incorporating renewable energy projects in all new developments. Small scale renewable energy schemes utilising technologies such as solar panels, Biomass heating, small scale wind turbines, photovoltaic cells and combined heat and power schemes can be incorporated both into new developments and some existing buildings. Local planning authorities should specifically encourage such schemes through positively expressed policies in local development documents.”

And also :

“Development proposals should demonstrate any environmental, economic and social benefits as well as how any environmental and social impacts have been minimised through careful consideration of location, scale, design and other measures”.

In particular, PPS22 specifies that:

• “The financial viability of the project should not form part of the decision • The wider environmental and economic benefits of all proposals for renewable energy projects, whatever their scale, are material considerations that should be given significant weight in determining whether proposals should be granted planning permission • Local planning authorities, regional stakeholders and Local Strategic Partnerships should foster community involvement in renewable energy projects and seek to promote knowledge of and greater acceptance by the public of prospective renewable energy developments that are appropriately located • Small-scale developments should be permitted within areas such as National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Heritage Coasts provided that there is no serious environmental detriment to the area concerned”

In the UK the Supplement to Planning Policy Statement 1: Creating Sustainable Communities, paragraph 20 refers to the LPA’s developing their core strategy and supporting local development document. This document indicates that LPA’s should not require applicants for energy development to demonstrate either the overall need for renewable energy and its distribution, nor question the energy justification for why a proposal for such development must be sited in a particular location.

Planning Policy Statement 7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas. PPS 7 states:

“Recognising that diversification into nonagricultural activities is vital to the continuing viability of many farm enterprises, local planning authorities should:

Page 8 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

• be supportive of well-conceived farm diversification schemes for business purposes that contribute to sustainable development objectives and help to sustain the agricultural enterprise, and are consistent in their scale with their rural location. This applies equally tofarm diversification schemes around the fringes of urban areas • where relevant, give favorable consideration to proposals for diversification in Green Belts where the development preserves the openness of the Green Belt and does not conflict with the purposes of including land within it.

Regional On 6 July 2010 the Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, announced the revocation of Regional Strategies with immediate effect.

The statement confirms that Regional Strategies are being revoked under s79(6) of the Local Democracy Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 and will therefore no longer form part of the development plan for the purposes of s38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

Local The Unitary Development Plan (UDP), for Warrington which became a unitary authority on 1st April 1998 was published in 2005, and this sets out policies appropriate to the application.

Policy RE16 regarding Renewable Energy states that:

‘Permission will be granted for proposals for the generation of power from renewable energy sources provided that the following criteria are met;

The development would cause no significant harm to the appearance and character of the surrounding area, the highway safety standards, and the amenities of neighbouring residential occupiers by reason of noise, disturbance, pollution, visual intrusion, or traffic generation. The proposal includes effective measures to safeguard features or areas of particular landscape or nature conservation interest; the development would not cause significant harm to the landscape, nature conservation sites or historic features; the characteristics of an individual site are such that they can accommodate the infrastructure requirements for renewable energy generation.

The policy also states that when determining proposals, the Council will take into account any benefits for the wider community, which the provision of the development would bring, either directly or indirectly.

Page 9 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

Policy REP 17 Wind Turbines states:

‘In addition to the provisions of policy REP16, proposals for the development of wind turbines will need to satisfy the following criteria:

The development will not unacceptably affect the amenities of neighbouring occupiers by reason of shadow flicker or reflected light; no electromagnetic disturbance will be caused by the development to any existing transmitting or receiving systems or, if such disturbance may be caused, that mitigation measures are proposed to remedy any such disturbance, there will be no adverse environmental effect associated with the provision of transmission lines between the development and the point of connection to the grid; and provision is made for a realistic means of securing the removal of the wind turbines when redundant, and the restoration of the site so as to allow grazing or agricultural use.

In assessing these criteria, full account will be taken of proposed mitigating measures.

Warrington Borough Council produced a report ‘ Climate Change Strategy for Warrington’ this report stated that the aim was to reduce the council’s own emissions of greenhouse gases by 10% by 2012 compared with a 2006 baseline and to set us on a path to reducing the community’s emissions by 20% by 2020’

The site does lie within an area of formally designated Green Belt (UDP Policy GRN1: The Green Belt), the Warrington Unitary Development Plan (June 2005) which states; ‘Proposals which involve a material change in the use of land or engineering or other operations (as set out in the statutory definition of development) will not be appropriate unless they maintain the openness of the green belt and do not conflict with the purposes of including land within it’.

This policy is discussed in more detail in later paragraphs.

Other polices which have been considered for this form of development are:

Policy REP10 THE PRUDENT USE OF RESOURCES is also relevant for this development which states that the council will consider applications with the provision of avoiding loss of resources and using the existing resources in the most efficient way. This includes avoiding the loss of agricultural land, safeguarding the built heritage of the Borough, promoting energy efficiency and avoiding adverse impacts on air and water quality.

REP10 NOISE, this policy states that;

‘The Council will not approve development which would cause a significant increase in ambient noise levels where a detrimental impact on residential amenity, wildlife, or the quiet enjoyment of open spaces or the countryside would result. Developments which are sensitive to noise will not be allowed near to noise sources, such as some commercial developments, trunk roads or railways, unless effective noise insulation, or other

Page 10 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm mitigation measures can be incorporated and secured by conditions attached to the planning permission.’

Policy, REP2 PROTECTION OF THE BEST AND MOST VERSATILE AGRICULTURAL LAND. Development proposals should consider the most beneficial use of agricultural land.

Policy DCS1 DEVELOPMENT CONTROL STRATEGY states that development proposals should preserve amenities of near neighbours, conserve the natural character and appearance of the areas, make efficient use of the land and integrate efficiently with existing public utilities.

GRN2 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT also applied to this application. The policy seeks to protect the open countryside and maintain the attractiveness and diversity of the landscape.

Compliance with Policy The proposed installation of a single Gaia (11)kW on an 18 metre tower at Walnut Tree Farm is to provide renewable power for the farm and any excessproduced during periods of low demand being feed into the National Grid, that is in line with International, UK, Regional and Local policies concerning renewable energy.

In addition the wind turbine project will reduce energy costs and provide a diversified income for the farm. This in turn will secure existing employment at the farm and increase the economic benefit for the local rural economy. Further environmental benefit will be gained from the reduced carbon footprint of the farming enterprise. All of this is in accordance with rural diversification policy supported by the LPA.

Page 11 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

SECTION C Design and Access Statement

T J Blackshaw & Partners of Walnut Tree Farm wish to install a single wind turbine in a field to the west of Walnut Tree Farm, Northwich Road, Lower Stretton, Warrington WA4 4PG to generate and supply renewable electricity for the farm. Any surplus electric generated at times when the turbine is operational when there is little or no demand on site would be exported to the National Grid for distribution via the District Network Operator.

Location and Situation The location plan is shown in Appendix 1 at 1:10000 scale to allow the full envelope of land owned by the applicant which surrounds the proposed site to be shown including the location of the proposed turbine in relation to Walnut Tree Farm and other local properties.

The proposed location for the wind turbine is grid reference; SJ 62067 81233.

This site plan at a 1:2500 scale is shown in Appendix 2; this is the lowest possible scale to clearly identify the proposed location field and its boundaries. The site plan shows the proposed position of the wind turbine, edged in red, with the blade diameter, edged in green, and the access and cable route for the proposed wind turbine site.

Scale and Appearance The turbine is a Gaia (11kW) wind turbine which will be installed on an 18 m tall tower with 6.5 metre blades. Please see Appendices for elevation drawings and specification of the wind turbine. The tower to be installed is a lattice self supporting steel structure and will have a grey finish. The turbine nacelle and blades are white. This design is specifically tailored to minimise the visibility of the structure by blending in with the skyline.

Technical Aspects of the Site Please note that Paragraph 20 of the Supplement to PPS1, in referring to LPA’s developing their core strategy and supporting local development documents, indicates that LPA’s should not require applicants for energy development to demonstrate either the overall need for renewable energy and its distribution, nor question the energy justification for why a proposal for such development must be sited in a particular location.

Careful consideration has been taken to site the wind turbine, ensuring that the positioning will not cause any significant detriment to the local landscape or wildlife in the area (discussed in “impacts” below), but also ensuring that the sitting of the turbine is

Page 12 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm in an area that maximises the potential energy capture from ‘clean’ wind available across the site. Understandably this limits the areas available and suitable for the wind turbine positioning, as in other locations the wind speed is not high enough to invest in this form of renewable energy.

The proposed site location has been selected for the following reasons:

1) The wind speed: the site has an average wind speed of 5.6 m/s. 2) The absence of wind barriers: the wind turbine on this site will experience no hindrance from obstacles such as buildings and trees, which could set up wind eddies and vortices and limit efficient energy production 3) The limited impact on the landscape, wildlife and surrounding residential dwellings - covered later in the report. 4) Starightforward access for cabling connections

A wind turbine installed here will be able to work efficiently to produce electricity for the farm business and associated properties with the potential capacity of producing excess electricity which can be fed into the National Grid.

Of the limited alternative sites available within the land owned by the applicant the site proposed is considered to be the best to meet all the planning considerations as described in this Supporting Statement. It should be noted that the original application made in August 2010 has been significantly revised in order to reduce the impact and make the proposed acceptable to the local community.

Construction The Turbine: The application area that will be disturbed during construction of the base and tower will be less than 0.065 Ha (0.16 acres). On completion of construction any disturbed area will be reinstated to full agricultural use. The final base, including the control box, will occupy an area of less than two metres by three metres.

A three phase electric supply already exits at Walnut Tree Farm. Any surplus electricity will be fed through the three phase supply into the National Grid for public distribution.

Access for Construction Works The green dotted line on the location and site map indicates the access route for delivery of the turbine, tower and foundation. Access from public highways will be via the from the existing farm field entrance. The proposed site is on privately owned agricultural land with the control of the applicant. It will not be necessary to create a hardcore track as access will be over the undisturbed field surface. It is not planned to excavate any soils or import any hardcore onto this access route across the field.

It should be noted that there is no requirement for a regular vehicle access to the turbine site other than for delivery and installation of the foundations and wind turbine itself.

Page 13 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

Conditions and routes across the field suitable for heavy equipment are well understood. The installation will not take place until site conditions make it easy to use this route without the need for additional support or alteration such as a temporary track across the field.

Highway Safety Standards The proposed wind turbine site will not require any changes to the local highways for access or maintenance.

No extra traffic will be generated as a result of the installation of this wind turbine, other than for the initial delivery of the equipment and an annual routine maintenance visit. Transportation of the wind turbine, blades and tower to the farm will be via lorry, using standard transport planning procedures to comply with highway safety standards.

Technology suppliers and installers The turbine manufacturer is Gaia Wind Power and details of the turbine specification can be viewed in the Appendices.

The wind turbines will be installed and commissioned by Less CO2, a Staffordshire based company that is accredited under the Micro-generation Certified Scheme (reference number MCS 1389).

Page 14 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

SECTION D

Impact Assessment of the Single Micro – generation Wind Turbine in accordance with LP guidance

This application is for a single turbine and therefore does not raise the same issues that could occur with a Wind Farm project comprising several much larger turbines in close proximity. European and UK Legislation states that EIA are required for major developments that have the potential to have a significant effect on the environment. However, EIA screening of similar planning applications for this size and type of turbine have found that EIA is not required.

The factors that have been considered for the impact of the single wind turbine are: visual landscape; public rights of way; amenities of local residents; biodiversity and wildlife; physical impacts; local development; telecommunication; pollution; cultural heritage; and aircraft and radar.

Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment

Bearing in mind the size and scale of this proposal for a single 11Kw wind turbine on an 18m tower a full detailed assessment of the landscape and visual impacts is not considered appropriate or necessary by European and UK legislation. However, the principle process for a Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV) has been carried out and suggests no unacceptable detrimental impact. Key view points have been visited and photographs have been taken from these points to assess the impact of the proposed wind turbine from these points. The photo montages are shown in Appendix 6 with a turbine added to illustrate what it would look like. The impact on public rights of way is discussed later.

Landscape Character

The landscape character of the area is flat farmland, between two major motorways to the north and east.

Key Points: 1) Generally an expanding settlement pattern of farmsteads villages and residential areas. 2) The proposed location for the wind turbine and the surrounding villages are not in a designated conservational area. 3) Searches on the Natural England website for this area shows that it is not: i. A Site of Special Scientific Interest, or ii. An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or iii. International Designated Site, or iv. Biodiversity Action Plan Area. 4) There are no historic or heritage sites near to the proposed location.

Page 15 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

The landscape is agricultural, with some commercial/residential development. The farming landscape is arable/pasture with enclosed fields bounded by in most cases hedges. The farmland in this area is generally in reasonable/good condition, but is being greatly affected by intensive farming/commercial development. Commercial development includes the M56 to the north of Walnut Tree Farm and the M6 to the east, as well as the busy A49 to the west and the Northwich road to the east, having significant impact on the agricultural character of the landscape.

Impact on the Visual Landscape It must be noted that one of the main benefits of wind turbines is that they do not have a permanent impact on the environment. Once the turbine ceases to produce electricity it can be removed and the land can be returned to its former condition.

It is not believed that the single wind turbine would dominate the appearance of the plateau to the extent that it would seriously harm the appreciation of the landscape from either individual dwellings or the local settlements as a whole.

All of the distinct aspects of the landscape (discussed above) at Walnut Tree Farm make the landscape less sensitive to the presence of a single wind turbine, the presence of such a structure will be absorbed into the landscape without harm to the character and nature of the area. The photo montages in the Appendices highlights this.

As mentioned above in the Design and Access Statement the site has been chosen so that visual impact is kept at a minimum without compromise to wind speed and power output. The location of the turbine has been kept near to the farm complex, there by creating less of a visual impact on the landscape. The careful design and structure of the micro wind turbine (discussed above in the Design and Access Statement) creates an appearance that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. This design and colour minimises the visibility of the structure, mitigating the impact of the single wind turbine. This has been considered in accordance with Policy GRN2 ‘Environmental Protection and Enhancement’ which seeks to maintain the attractiveness and diversity of the landscape.

Impact on the Amenities of Local Residents

Visual Impact The proposed site for the wind turbines is in a field owned and farmed by the applicant. Any noise or visual impact which the wind turbines might generate will be over 220 metres from the nearest residential property (Blackendale). The residential properties to the east of the turbine are those houses situated on the Northwich Road at over 350 metres distance. During a site visit on the 20th May 2010, there was a distinct background noise from the A49 and Northwich Road which would drown out any gentle ‘swooshing’ of the blades on the turbines. Neighbouring residential properties to the south west including Roolymoor, Woodview, Woodlea, Malupre and the Birchfields are more than 250 metres away from the proposed turbine. These properties sitting to the South West of the site have an array of trees blocking the view of the proposed site and will therefore

Page 16 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm not significantly have their amenities affected. Bradley Brook House and Bradley Brook Cottage sit well over 500 metres away and at that distance, will not be significantly affected. The impact of the proposed single wind turbine would inevitably diminish with distance. Any impact on long distance views of the wind turbine will be minimal to the overall visual quality of the area; the topography and the existing telegraph poles which are scattered across the landscape and that currently sit in close proximity to the site and have a far greater visual quality impact on the existing landscape. It should also be noted that industrial developments exist in the local area. Ineos is a chemical and industrial site in Northwich which sits only 9.5 kilometres away from the wind turbine site. The Ineos site is a much more visually intrusive development on the local surroundings compared to this small scale renewable energy project.

With the turbine site lying within the flat Cheshire, landscape view points of the turbine are from flat land. There are no downward or upward view points of this turbine, view points are from similar ground levels with existing topography large trees and buildings screen some views of the proposed wind turbine.

The site has been chosen so that visual impact is kept at a minimum without compromise to power output. Good exposure to un-disturbed wind currents is encouraged for this type of project. In this case, there are very few properties close to the proposed turbine and it is not widely visible to those local residents. A inspection of the site from nearby properties from the South East are screened by the farm buildings at Walnut Tree Farm, from the far South East, properties are obscured by trees. The only direct view of the turbine is from Brackendale or some properties on the Northwich Road, but these are over 220m away.

The erection of the turbines will have no effect on access issues or amenity in the local vicinity.

It is considered from the above that few if any residential occupiers will not have their amenities significantly affected, as a result of the distance from the turbine and the natural screening from the existing landscape.

Noise Impact

The Gaia turbine has been developed as one of the quietest on the market operating at a constant slow speed of rotation, the small noise generated from the turbine is the gentle swooshing of the blades. Noise slope of the Gaia turbine are less than 40 db(A) at 100m from the turbine base. Please see Appendices for more information. Bearing in mind that the nearest properties are some 220 metres away noise will not create any unacceptable impact. Whilst it is not possible to eradicate all noise completely, the blades are designed to be aerodynamic so ‘cutting’ through the air and reducing noise levels. Due to the proposed site for this wind turbine it is extremely unlikely that local residents would be troubled by any noise generated.

Page 17 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

Biodiversity and Wildlife

The proposed location for the turbine is in the open space of the field, which is currently used for intensive agricultural purposes. The turbine location has been selected because of the farming practices which take place on the site, and so species have not been able to establish long term habitats on the field surface. Therefore any species or habitats of value are not affected by either the installation or the operation of the turbine.

Searches conducted on the Natural England website for this area shows that the application site is: • Not an area highlighted for a Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Habitat. • Does not benefit from any special designations with regard to protected species • There are no ponds or wetland habitat within the immediate vicinity of the proposed wind turbine site so the project will not have any impact on wetland habitat/wildlife.

The position of the wind turbine has been appropriately placed away from any hedges so that any trees or wildlife will not be disturbed during the installation or operation of the Wind Turbine.

Wind turbines have no affect on livestock or wild mammals. They are unobtrusive and safe for livestock to graze next to. Turbines have been installed without difficulty on livestock farms, in deer parks, on nature reserves as well as equestrian centres.

Helen Lacy from WBC Nature Conservation has been contacted regarding the wind turbine proposal and we are awaiting a response.

Bats and Birds Natural England have produced the “Bats and Onshore Wind Turbine” Technical Information Note, TIN051. This document has been used and applied within this application. This technical note states that:

“Evidence in Britain is that most bat activity is in close proximity to habitat features. Research has shown that bat activity declines at 35m from hedge/tree lines” (Natural England Technical Information Note TIN051).

The proposed location of the turbine has been chosen to meet the requirements set out in the Natural England Technical Information Note (TIN051), ensuring that the wind turbine blade tips are the recommended distance from the existing hedges/trees, to minimise/mitigate the risk to bird or bats while flying along the hedgerows to feed. This has been calculated using Natural England Formulae in TIN051. For this particular micro-turbine, this distance is 55m from hedge/tree lines.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has stated its support for renewable energy projects, including wind turbines on the basis that the benefit in combating

Page 18 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm climate change is greater than the impact such projects can impose on wildlife. The RSPB recognise climate change as the biggest threat to wild birds during the next half- century.

The RSBP states: “The available evidence suggests that appropriately positioned wind farms do not pose a significant hazard for birds. However, evidence from the US and Spain confirms that poorly sited wind farms can cause severe problems for birds, through disturbance, habitat loss/damage or collision with turbines.”

It must be noted that this is in relation to wind farms and large-scale developments only; this application is purely for a single wind turbine. Studies carried out at existing wind farms show collision rates to be less than one per year per turbine. When scaling this statistic to single small-scale turbines, the annual collision rate of birds will approach close to zero.

Conservation

None of the local villages contain a designated conservation area, with conditions imposed on housing developments within the existing village boundaries and village expansion. The farm is outside the village bounds and this particular development is not for housing and creates minimum visual and noise intrusion. In addition, the structure can be removed at a later date if its operation is no longer required or for any reason becomes uneconomic.

The site does lie within an area of formally designated Green Belt. The UDP Policy GRN1: The Green Belt, in the Warrington Unitary Development Plan (June 2005) states;

‘Proposals which involve a material change in the use of land or engineering or other operations (as set out in the statutory definition of development2) will not be appropriate unless they maintain the openness of the green belt and do not conflict with the purposes of including land within it’.

The proposal could be classed as development, but by any definition would be considered small scale. This development will maintain the openness of the green belt and due to the nature and scale of the development will not conflict with the purposes of including the Green Belt designation.

2 'Development' is defined by statute in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 s55(1), as 'the carrying out of building, engineering, mining or other operations in, on, over or under land, or the making of any material change in the use of any buildings or other land'. This definition is clarified by the remainder of s55 and the inclusion of the Generally Permitted Development Order 1995 and the Use Classes Order 1987.

Page 19 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

There are five purposes of including land in Green Belts:

1. To check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas 2. To prevent neighbouring towns from merging into one another 3. To assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment 4. To preserve the setting and special character of historic towns 5. To assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.

The wind turbine is not urban sprawl development and will not merge two towns together. The turbine is not located in a historic town, the proposed site being surrounded by development which would not be classed as ‘historic’.

The wind turbine will not cause violation (encroachment) on the countryside. The turbine is a small structure (hub height only 18m) having minimal impact on the landscape character. The design of the turbine, on a lattice tower, makes the structure of the turbine less visible to the onlooker, as shown in the photo montages. The lattice tower has purposely been chosen for its partial transparent effect. It must be noted that development larger than this single micro-generation wind turbine, takes place within Green Belts. For example, large agricultural buildings.

National and local planning policy sets out a presumption against inappropriate development in the Green Belt PPG2 sets out that inappropriate development is harmful by definition and should not be approved except in very special circumstances. To pass as special circumstances, it should be demonstrated the wider environmental benefits associated with increased production of energy from renewable sources.

By installing a single micro-generation wind turbine at Walnut Tree Farm, renewable electricity will be used to replace/reduce mains electric supplied to the farm. Envirolink Northwest carried out a business Report for Walnut Tree Farm in April 2010, the report (shown in appendix 9) considered the electricity usage on site and the opportunity for installing a wind turbine, the financial appraisal for an 11Kw Gaia turbine showed an estimated carbon saving of 20.64 tonnes at this site. This is a huge environmental benefit, one in which is supported by UK and National Governments.

Furthermore, national and local policies all seek to encourage the use of renewable sources of energy and both PPS1 and PPS22 indicate that small scale schemes can make a valuable contribution to the overall energy needs at a local and national level.

It is our case that this application is not an inappropriate development and any is off set by the wider environmental benefits as well as the benefits to the business. This application has addressed the Green Belt Policy and concludes that the economic viability of the business, the carbon saving from the development and the consideration of scale and design for this development strongly suggests this development is appropriate within

Page 20 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm the Green Belt, especially when compared to other forms of development which already impact on the Green Belt and this area.

This application does not conflict with Green Belt Policy, and therefore this small scale single wind turbine development is appropriate within the Green Belt.

Public Rights of Way Mr John Mckye from Warrington Borough Council has been consulted regarding the Public Rights of Way. As a result the following method of cable laying is proposed.

Local footpaths and bridleways - there is a public footpath close to the proposed site of the wind turbine. However, the cable laying will not disturb any users of the path as no excavation of the path will be carried out, the cable will be inserted underground using trenchless techniques. This work would be done within two hours and a sign will be put on the path to notify any footpath users that works within the field are going on. At this location it is concluded that the proposed wind turbines will not cause any difficulty to the very small number of walkers that use the footpath.

The general opinion of councils regarding footpaths is that wind farms will be permitted near to a footpath where they do not compromise the enjoyment and safe use of highways and the public rights of way. The wind turbine should not “oversail” the footpath. This application is for a single turbine that does not ‘oversail’ the footpath and is therefore acceptable.

Physical Impacts

Soils and Hydrology A small amount of excavation will be required for the concrete base to anchor the wind turbine tower. Any excavated subsoil will be retained on the farm and the topsoil will be spread around the tower on completion of construction and cultivated to marry in with the undisturbed adjoining agricultural land. To avoid damage to the soils on the site by rutting or compaction it is planned to undertake the construction work during months when the soils are dry. This will avoid any potential damage to the soil structure of both the topsoil and the subsoil. If any such damage did occur during construction it would be rectified by deep ripping and loosening of the soil prior to the next cultivation and seeding of the field.

Due to the location of the site on relatively higher ground there is no current flood risk and the construction of the turbine will not change that situation.

Cultural Heritage There are no historical, archaeological features or Scheduled Ancient Monuments on or within close proximity of the proposed wind turbine site.

Page 21 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

Community The development is proposed primarily to supply renewable energy to the enterprises at Walnut Tree Farm with surplus energy generated when the farm use is low to be exported to the National Grid for the benefit of the community. Additional community benefits are gained from the reduced ‘Carbon Footprint’ as a result of mains electric being replaced by green renewable electric produced from the wind turbine.

Telecommunications Interference It is a common misconception that wind turbines can interfere with telecommunications equipment and TV signals. It is not anticipated that this particular small scale project will have any negative impact on telecommunications.

Consultations have taken place with both Ofcom and the JRC (Joint Radio Company). Both of which have not got any issues with the proposed wind turbine

The BBC webtool has been used and the results of this can bee seen in the appendices. The results show that the turbine ‘may’ affect 53 homes; however, the BBC web tool takes no consideration of the size, scale or number of turbines. This is a single 18 metres structure. Consultation has been sent to Sally Payne at the BBC (Please see appendicies) but we have had no response as yet.

Aircraft and Radar Ministry of Defence and Safeguarding Estates have all been consulted to ensure that the proposed wind turbine is not in a position that will interfere with flights and radar. The MOD, Manchester Airport and Liverpool Airport have no objection to the proposed 11kw Gaia turbine. Please see appendices for Aviation Responses.

Pollution There is no known pollution generated from the operation of a wind turbine. Wind turbine foundation soil displacement will be levelled within the field boundary and cultivated as part of the field. The design of the foundations minimises the amount of concrete required to anchor the turbine, as described in detail in the design section of this document.

Page 22 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

SECTION E Economic Statements

National & Regional Support UK Policies support small scale wind turbines on farms. It should also be noted that Government financial incentives have recently been improved through new Feed-in Tariff (FITs) levels commencing in April 2010, designed to bring about a significant increase in the amount of locally produced green energy, as a contribution to the wider shift of the energy mix to low carbon. In addition advice and funding for renewable energy projects on farms is available from the Regional Development Agency.

Department of Energy and Climate Change & New Feed-in Tariff (FITs) In addition to the UK and Regional Planning Policies that support small scale wind turbines on farms, it should be noted that Government financial incentives have recently been improved. Those who install generating technologies such as small wind turbines and solar panels are from 1st April 2010 are entitled to claim payments for the low carbon electricity they produce. The Feed-in Tariff (FITs) are designed to bring about a significant increase in the amount of locally produced green energy, as a contribution to the wider shift of the energy mix to low carbon. From 1 April 2010 low carbon electricity technology such as solar photovoltaic (pv) panels and wind turbines up to 5 megawatts will be paid for the electricity they generate, even if they use it themselves. They will get a further payment for any electricity they feed into the National Grid. These payments will be in addition to benefiting from reduced bills as they reduce the need to buy electricity.

Local Economy and Employment Against a background of increasing concerns about climate change and the need to increase the UK’s electricity generation from renewable energy sources, it is appropriate that the applicants would like to install a Wind Turbine for the purpose of generating electricity. This installation will generate electricity primarily for the farm and file document storage unit and any excess electricity generated will be exported to the National Grid. This will reduce energy costs at Walnut Tree Farm as well as reducing the Carbon Footprint of the farm in line with Defra Policy. The majority of electricity used on the farm will be consumed by the farming enterprise including heating, running motors, feeding and lighting systems.

Reducing farm running costs plus the income from any exported electricity and from the recently announced Feed in Tariff for all renewable electricity generated will provide an additional diversified income stream to improve farm financial viability. Any such

Page 23 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm improvement to financial viability of the farm secures both present and future employment on the farm, which is important to the local economy in this part of rural Cheshire. The benefits of the additional diversification income are supported by the local planning policy.

Page 24 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

SECTION F Conclusion

The environmental impacts of the development have been assessed and are reported in this Design and Access Statement and accompanying Supporting Statement. If any additional information is required we would of course wish to be given an opportunity to provide it. It is however concluded that there is no unacceptable environmental harm to the area or the Green Belt and that the proposed development will produce significant environmental and economic benefits. The proposal is in compliance with National and Local Planning Policies and will assist the government to meet its renewable energy target.

The applicant therefore respectfully requests that the Planning Authority approves this proposed development.

Page 25 of 26 Supporting Statement and Design & Access Statement – Single Gaia Wind Turbine – Walnut Tree Farm

Appendices

Appendix 1 - Location Plan

Appendix 2 – Site Plan

Appendix 3- Equipment Elevations & Summary of Wind Turbine Specification

Appendix 4 - Manufactures Information and Wind Turbine Diagrams Appendix 5- Site Photo Montages

Appendix 6 – Telecommunications Response

Appendix 7- Noise Data

Appendix 8- MOD Responses

Appendix 9- Consultation to WBC Nature Conservation

Appendix 10- Envirolink Northwest File Room Report

Appendix 11- Consultation with CheshireWest and Chester

Page 26 of 26 Turbine Configuration 2 blades, horizontal axis, down wind Mounted on TEETER hub – reflection free light gray. Rated power @ 11m/s 11kW Applications Direct Grid-Tie Wind Class III (annual average wind speeds up to 7.5m/s) Rotor Speed 56rpm Cut-in wind speed 3.5m/s Cut Out wind speed >25m/s Design Life 20yrs – Provided service and maintenance schedules are strictly followed Overall weight Nacelle & rotor 900kg Towers 1850 – 22000 Rotor Diameter 13m Swept Area 133m2 Blade Material Fiberglass Generator / Gearbox Type Induction Generator Gaia-Wind turbines are specifically Configuration 3ph – 400 Vac @ 50Hz designed to generate better value and Gearbox Two stage, gear ratio 1:18 , low noise deliver optimum performance for Controls energy production in areas having low to moderate annual wind speeds of Control System Programmable logic controller (PLC) between 4.5-5.5m/s . The Gaia-Wind Brake & Safety Systems 133-11kW wind turbine has been designed to suit the moderate wind Base Level Passive stall of blades limits power output conditions found in rural mainland Second Level Control system activates mechanical brake if: Britain perfectly and produces an •Wind speed exceeds 25m/s energy yield ideally suited to many •Abnormal vibration farms – reducing energy costs and the •Grid disconnection or generator overheats adverse impact on the environment. Third Level •Centrifugally activated aerodynamic brakes built into rotor tips as a final safety measure Power Curve 'Gaia - 133 11kW' Manual Override •Red Button 12.00 Warranty 10.00 Turbine , Controls 2 years (5 yr extended available) 8.00 6.00 Tower 4.00 Type & Height Free – Standing Monopole: -18m & 27m Free – Standard Lattice -15m & 18m 2.00

Power Generated 'kW' Generated Power Maintenance Safe climbing system 0.00 Tower – top work platform 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112 Hub Height Wind Speed 'm/s' • Design – To us ‘environment’ means more than just clean energy, the aesthetically pleasing design of our turbine with its reflection-free light grey blades match the sky and the clouds allowing it to stand comfortably and blend into the surrounding countryside. The slim line design of the nacelle, together with its extremely low noise output means our turbine makes less noise than you would imagine.

• Oversized rotor – Our wind turbine’s oversized rotor allows it to capture up to 80% Annual - 'Energy Generation (AEG)' & 'Carbon Benefit' more energy than similarly rated machines, to significantly increase the return on 45000 25 investment and generate better value for you 40000 35000 20 • Direct grid connection – As the turbine is connected to your property’s main power 30000 15 source, energy is generated during windy 25000 kWh saved - periods and power is drawn from the grid 2 20000 during still periods. CO 10 - AEG AEG 15000 t • Triple safety system – The comprehensive safety system protects the turbine by 10000 5 automatically ‘parking’ the turbine when wind 5000 speeds reach 56mph or above. 0 0 • Microgeneration Certification Scheme 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 (MCS) accreditation – The turbine has achieved ‘MCS’ accreditation in the UK, Annual Average Hub Height Wind Speed 'm/s' making it eligible for grants and financial subsidy schemes. The company’s certification kWh p.a Tonnes CO2 p.a. number is MCS 1408.

Investment Stats 10.0 30 9.0 Calculations are based on standard wind 8.0 25 distribution models and should be taken as estimations only. Your performance may vary. 7.0 20 6.0 5.0 15 •Distribution Shape- 2k 4.0 •Turbulence 15% •Sea Level 3.0 10 •Wind Shear 0.1 2.0 5 •Average Site Temp 15 deg C 1.0 Return on investmentonReturn (ROI)% Years toYears pay back investment 0.0 0 •FIT – 26.7p kWh 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 •Import avoided saving 10p kWh •Exported Energy 3p kWh Annual Average Hub Height Wind Speed 'm/s'

Yrs to Payback ROI (%)

less co2 limited, High Up Farm, High Up Lane, Leek, Staffordshire. ST13 8SD T/01538 370131 M/07941326137 [email protected] www.less-co2.co.uk

Limited Company Registered in England No. 6382245 Photo Montages

Proposed 11kW Gaia Wind Turbine at Walnut Tree farm, WA4 4PG Location Map

Photo Locations: 1: Hall lane 2. Roolymoors 3. School Lane 4. Wind Turbine Field 1. Hall Lane

Approximate Distance 630 metres 2:Roolymoors

Approximate Distance 590m 3: School Lane

Approximate Distance:450m

Sally Payn e BBC Room 4115 White City 201 Wood Lane London W12 7TS

Dear Sally,

Wind Turbine Planning Application-Walnut Tree Farm

I have been passed on your contact details regarding consultation regarding a proposal for an 11kw Gaia Wind Turbine on an 18m tower at Walnut Tree Farm, Northwich Road, Lower Stretton, Warrington, WA4 4PG.

I have enclosed a wind turbine proforma used for aviation consultation which lists all the details of the proposal. I have also used the BBC on line web-tool and enclosed those results. I was hoping you could help me with explaining the results given as they seem inconclusive. How do we determine whether the installation of the turbine will affect homes TV signal from these results?

I would greatly appreciate any feedback on these results and our proposal. Please contact me on the number or email address below for further information.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Sally Bowdler

Sound Pressure Level (according to BWEA Small Wind Turbine Performance and Safety Standard) of a Gaia-Wind 11 kW with 18.3 m Hub Height depending on Slant Distance (Reference: 8 m/s at Rotor Centre Height)

60 58 Entfernung 56 [m] 0.1 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 HH 18.3 m Schalldruckpegel54 [dB(A)] 88.50 60.10 54.08 50.56 48.06 46.12 44.54 43.20 52 50 48 46 44 42 40 38 36 34 32 30 28

Sound Pressure Level in dB(A) in Pressure Level Sound 26 24 22 20 0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 Slant Distance from Hub in m

Declared Sound Power Level LWd,8m/s : 88.1 dB(A) Lp,60m : 44.5 dB(A)

Noise slope, SdB : 1.015 dB/m/s Lp,25m : 52.1 dB(A) Noise Penalty : No

HM: 2064 Revision: 1.1 Hayes McKenzie Partnership Ltd. Sound Pressure Level according to BWEA standard for small wind turbines 19/02/2009

ENVIROLINK NORTHWEST BUSINESS SUPPORT REPORT

Client: THE FILEROOM LTD

Advice Type: SMALL WIND GUIDANCE NOTE, ESTIMATED PAYBACK CALCULATIONS, FINANCE OPTIONS, INITIAL GRID CONNECTION INFORMATION, SUPPLIER DETAILS

Prepared by: GARETH BENNETT Senior Business Development Manager – Low Carbon Cheshire

Date: APRIL 2010

Disclaimer

Neither Envirolink nor its advisors shall incur any liability for any action or omission arising out of any reliance being placed on this information by any organisation or other person. Any organisation or person in receipt of this information should take their own legal, financial and other relevant professional advice when considering what action (if any) to take in respect of any renewable strategy, initiative, proposal, or other involvement with any renewable technology, or before placing any reliance on anything contained therein.

Background information

The Fileroom Ltd operates from a separate building located at Walnut Tree Farm, Lower Stretton. The client also owns Walnut Tree Farm and the converted office space and farm shop, which is rented out to tenants.

Meeting notes

The client stated that they wanted to generate renewable electricity for the three separate business operations on-site:

The Fileroom Ltd Walnut Tree Farm Tenanted offices and farm shop

The purpose of generating renewable electricity is to market the site as a low carbon operation as well as to reduce the amount purchased from the grid and lower overheads in the medium to long term.

The client stated that the site is off the mains gas grid. The site is heated by an oil-fired boiler system. Consumption figures for the oil use were not provided by the client as electricity generation is the preferred option to progress.

The site has two separate 3-phase supply, one providing power to the Fileroom and the other to the farm and the offices/farm shop. Photographs were taken of the two separate electrical supply equipment whilst on-site.

The client provided annual electricity consumption figures for the three businesses, which are detailed below:

The Fileroom = 33,500 kWh Farm = 82,000 kWh Offices / farm shop = 22,00 kWh

The client was made aware of the maximum size of turbine that could be connected to the grid by a certified installer. It was agreed that basic grid connection advice will be provided by the Grid Connection Specialist. At the point in time where more in depth grid connection advice is required, Envirolink will provide this information and support upon request from the client.

Action – provide general grid connection information.

The client was made aware of the recent announcement on the prospective Feed in Tariff (FiT) scheme by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the rates of income per unit of electricity generated.

It was agreed that Envirolink will provide the annual mean wind speeds for the location and undertake some calculations on estimated payback periods (taking into account the FiT income) for a number of wind turbines that could be suitable for the location and energy demand of the site.

Action – Envirolink to provide the wind speeds for the site and estimate the payback period of a number of wind turbines.

The client requested information on the financial support options that are currently available for renewable energy technologies, as well as being updated as and when new schemes come onto the market.

Action – provide details on the range of financial support options that are currently available.

The project is not at a stage whereby planning advice or discussions have been required for renewable energy technologies. It was agreed that general planning information would be provided to the client for small wind turbines. The client will contact Envirolink to request more detailed pre-planning application advice.

Action – Envirolink to provide general planning information on small wind turbines and the client to request pre-planning application advice when required.

The client was interested in obtaining supplier / installer details for the renewable energy technologies discussed.

Action – provide supplier/installer details for small wind turbines.

Information Requested

1. Small Wind Turbine Guidance Note

What Are Small Wind Turbines?

Wind energy is the harnessing of the power in the wind to generate electricity. Although commonly associated with large, rural wind farms there is also a rapidly growing market in smaller scale wind turbines suited to supplying electricity directly to sites such as offices, light industry, retail, agriculture, schools and housing developments.

‘Small’ wind turbines are typically rated under 50kW, measure up to 30m, and can contribute a sizable proportion of a building’s electricity needs. They can be installed on stand alone towers, on top of buildings and on elevated structures.

Small wind turbines come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with varying strengths.

For example:

Horizontal axis, 3 blades: Most common type, robust and performs well in most wind conditions (photograph 1)

Horizontal axis, circular rim: Stated to offer reduced noise levels (photograph 2) Photograph 1 Photograph 2 Vertical axis, straight blades: Stated to perform better in turbulent, urban wind (photograph 3)

Vertical axis, helical blades: stated to perform better in turbulent, urban wind, also designed for aesthetic effect (photograph 4)

Photograph 3 Photograph 4

Opportunities for Using Small Wind Turbines

There is a wide range of reasons why you may look to install small wind turbines on your site:

To Gain Planning Permission

One of the most common reasons for installing small wind turbines is to meet a local authority’s requirements for onsite renewable energy generation in new buildings. New developments in rural, urban fringe or coastal locations could be highly suitable for wind turbines, as well as on top of tall unsheltered buildings.

As national building standards move towards zero carbon design, drivers for wind turbines in new buildings are likely to become stronger.

Green Credentials and Reputation

A wind turbine installation can be a visible, educational and engaging asset for a building. As a zero emission (in operation) power source, they demonstrate a commitment to sustainable energy, and could enhance the brand or reputation of an organisation. A small wind system may fit well in a broader carbon or environment strategy, adding value for both reputation and compliance purposes.

Architectural and Landscape Design

In the right place, small wind turbines can be an interesting feature of a building or site. They are inherently prominent and visible, so can be used to add distinctiveness to developments seeking to be seen as green and modern. Various designs are available, including some intended to be aesthetically pleasing.

To Make a Long Term Investment

The financial returns for small wind systems are beginning to look attractive. The Government has proposed a financial support mechanism (Feed in Tariff) that will aim to provide a 5-8% annual rate of return from a wind turbine. This should be of interest to businesses willing to take on longer term renewables investment.

While maintenance is required, a wind turbine will effectively stabilise the cost of a proportion of your electricity bill for potentially over 20 years, and even provide a steady income stream if it qualifies for a subsidy scheme such as the forthcoming Feed in Tariffs.

To Provide an Alternative to Grid Connection

Coupled with a backup generator and/or batteries, wind turbines can offer a reliable, affordable solution for rural locations isolated from a reliable grid supply.

Pros and Cons of Small Wind Energy

Pros Cons

Stabilises the cost of a proportion of your Maintenance and repairs should be rare, but electricity supply. Very low cost power once may be expensive. capital costs paid back. A highly visible effort to reduce carbon Does not produce energy on demand, as it is emissions and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, dependent on weather conditions. thus enhances corporate reputation. Planning permission will be required, and Sited well, can be a very interesting and may be impossible to obtain in certain engaging part of a development. locations. Unlikely to be cost effective in built-up areas Surplus generation can be sold to the grid. due to wind turbulence and sheltering. One of the most cost effective renewable Noise and vibration impacts need to be electricity technologies. mitigated by careful siting. May be considered obtrusive and out of Can be mounted on roof or stand alone. keeping with certain local architecture and landscapes. Small footprint, as surrounding space can still

be used e.g. for car parking or agriculture. Reliable and low maintenance technology.

Siting and Integrating a Small Wind System

Factors Affecting Performance

Wind turbines produce power as the wind blows, with higher outputs in stronger winds. While modern turbines are designed to operate as efficiently as possible in a wide range of conditions, a wind turbine performs most effectively in strong, consistent wind. The ideal situation for a small wind turbine would be:

- Unsheltered by buildings, vegetation or hills to avoid wind shading, especially to the west and south west of the site - Facing a smooth, open landscape or water in order to reduce turbulence which reduces wind speed - As far from ground level as possible, to access higher wind speeds, for example roof mounted or on a tall mast.

Exposed locations such as the rural fringes of towns, large car parks and yards, roofs of tall buildings or riversides can still offer reasonable sites for wind turbines. Highly built-up urban areas are unlikely to be suitable for wind turbines, due to the turbulence and sheltering caused by buildings.

Integrating the Wind Energy System

An onsite wind turbine will typically have a direct electrical connection into its host buildings, for example direct to a factory if sited within factory grounds. When generating, it will negate the need to import the same amount of fossil fuel electricity from the National Grid. Power generated in excess of a site’s immediate requirements can be exported to the Grid and sold if it is economical to do so. The power from the turbine will need to be converted from DC to AC, through an inverter (transformer).

Source: Greenworks.

A wind turbine will pay back its cost more rapidly if there is a 24 hour demand for electricity at the site. This is because displacing consumption from the Grid will always be more cost effective than exporting the power.

Before installing a wind turbine, wind speed monitoring is recommended, to confirm the actual wind resource at the site. You should choose the size and capacity of wind turbine to match your site’s electrical load, space availability, planning restrictions and your budget.

Combination with Other Systems

Small wind turbines can readily be combined with any renewable energy technology. For example, a site looking to maximise independence from the Grid would benefit from combining solar photovoltaics with a wind turbine, to maximise the annual generation hours.

Wind turbines could be combined with a ground or air source heat pump, in order to contribute to the increased electricity demand for heating in winter, which is when heating demands and greatest wind speeds coincide.

For off-grid applications, a typical combination will be a wind turbine with a diesel backup generator for peak demand or calm periods.

Installation and Maintenance

Standalone small wind turbines require a foundation, a sizable tower, electrical connection and vehicular access. Roof mounted turbines will require easy roof access, and/or space for a crane at ground level. Wind turbines can generally be retrofitted as required, athough installation will be facilitated at the new build stage. If they are to be roof mounted, new buildings can include wind turbine mounting points in their design.

An unsheltered location at a site should be chosen, and there is normally a building-free buffer zone left around standalone small turbines to avoid topple risks to neighbours’ property. However, organisations that install turbines on their own sites may be more relaxed about the buffer zone. The immediate area around the turbine can still be used for car parking or animal grazing, for example.

It is recommended turbines are checked annually by the installer, so it should be easy to access or lower the turbine. A lifetime in excess of twenty years can be expected.

Contact details of qualified installers are available from the BWEA, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (www.microgenerationcertification.org), REAL Assurance (www.realassurance.org.uk) and the Envirolink Northwest Microgeneration Supply Chain Directory.

Typical System Sizes and Costs

Wind turbines are available in a wide range of capacities, to suit all levels of site electricity demand. As a general rule, the larger the turbine, the more cost effective it will be. This is because larger turbines offer a considerable economy of scale, and access higher wind speeds due to greater height.

Indicative Financial Appraisal of Small Wind Turbines

Indicative site Domestic School or Office estate small office or light industrial Capacity (kW) 1.5 10 50 Stand alone height (m) 10m (roof) 18m 30m

1 12% 18% 20% Assumed capacity factor kWh/year 1,577 15,768 87,600 Indicative capital cost (Installed) £ £7,000 £40,000 £180,000 Tariff (£/kWh) £0.345 £0.267 £0.241 Tariff income £544 £4,210 £21,112 Electricity sales + savings (£/year) 2 £103 £1,025 £5,694 Total revenue per year £647 £5,235 £26,806 Simple payback (years) 11 7.5 7

1. Capacity factor is an industry standard output indicator. It would be 100% if the wind turbine was running at full capacity all year. These are conservative assumptions, based on well located turbines. 2. Assumes 50% of power exported at 3p/kWh, and the remaining used onsite, offsetting grid electricity at 10p/kWh.

The figures above are illustrative of financial returns from a small wind turbine system in the UK, and include the proposed forthcoming feed-in-tariffs. Without this scheme, or other support such as grants, the financial case for small wind turbines is less attractive. Note this doesn’t account for future rises in the electricity price, which should serve to improve the payback time further.

Planning and Permitting

Wind turbines are prominent installations, with visual and noise impacts. At present all wind turbines require planning permission from a Local Authority

Small wind turbines are less controversial than large scale wind farms, in terms of visual impact, noise, and other environmental effects, which improves chances of obtaining planning permission. However, the noise, vibration and safety impacts of the turbine should be considered before installation, and a report may be requested by the local authority.

The Government are still consulting on whether wind turbines on domestic sites should be given Permitted Development rights. The main concerns that have prevented it being granted so far are noise and visual impact.

2. Grid Connection Advice

Provided by Geoff Owen – Grid Connection Specialist

Microgeneration generation installations of 16 amps per phase or less do not require a connection agreement with the host Distribution Network Owner (DNO), in this case Scottish Power. For microgeneration installations, the preferred Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accredited renewable energy installation contractor can proceed with the installation works provided they inform Scottish Power within 30 days after completing the installation in accordance with the requirements as detailed in engineering document G83.

The microgeneration maximum is 4 kW on a single phase supply and 12 kW for a 3-phase supply.

It is noted that that the site has two separate 3-phase supplies registered under different names – one The Fileroom Ltd and the other for the farm and associated operations (including the office space and farm shop). Each supply will need to be considered separately.

For each separate supply, exceeding the 12 kW microgeneration level will require your preferred installation contractor to apply to Scottish Power for a connection agreement prior to commencing any installation works.

In depth grid connection advice will be provided to the client once the project is in the detailed planning phase of the renewable energy project.

3. Financial Support

3.1 Carbon Trust Interest Free Loans

The Carbon Trust can provide interest free loans of £3,000 - £500,000 for organisations to invest in energy saving projects. The Carbon Trust can give £1,000 of loan for every 1.5 t C02 saved per annum from a project.

Eligible companies

To be able to qualify for an interest free loan, your organisation must fulfil these criteria:

Private sector Trading for at least 12 months For project sites based in England and Scotland: All Small or Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) OR any business that do not qualify for participation in the Carbon Reduction Commitment

The EU definition of an SME is an organisation with:

Less than 250 full time equivalent employees Less than €50m Turnover (approximately £43m) and/or less than €43m assets (approximately £37m) No controlling interest of more than 25% by a non-SME

As a guideline, the Carbon Reduction Commitment typically includes businesses with an annual electricity spend greater than £500,000.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I check if the equipment I want to install qualifies for a loan?

Because the Loans scheme deals with energy-saving projects rather than equipment, the answer depends on the specific circumstances of your energy usage and processes. To qualify for a loan, the projected cost of energy used after completion of the proposed project must show a significant reduction when compared to your existing energy bill.

Are renewable projects included?

Yes, depending on the specific project. Qualifying for an Energy-Efficiency Loan depends upon the amount of energy you will save on site following completion of the proposed project. Therefore if your energy saving project features renewable technology and meets the on-site cost and energy saving criteria, it will qualify.

Further information and guidance can be obtained from the Carbon Trust’s website http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/cut-carbon-reduce-costs/products- services/loans/pages/loans.aspx

3.2 Grant for Improving Your Resource Efficiency

The Grant for Improving Your Resource Efficiency (GFIYRE) awards provides enhanced help for capital investment where the project will contribute to reducing CO2 emissions and generate wider environmental benefits in the region. Applications for funding under this scheme can be made at any time from the 1st of April 2009 and projects must be completed by 31st of March 2011. There are no specific application dates under this scheme, but the budget is limited so the scheme may close earlier to applications once all the funding is allocated. They are discretionary and usually take the form of a grant where support from the Carbon Trust cannot be provided. Generally this will be the minimum necessary for the project to go ahead.

Small to Medium sized businesses can apply, but the maximum level of grant available is 50% of the total project cost. The level of grant is not dependant on where the project is based, but if your project is in one of the region's key industry sectors, it will have more chance of success. For further details on eligibility and application guidelines, please refer to the NWDA’s Finance for Business website. http://www.nwdabusinessfinance.co.uk

3.3 Feed in Tariffs (FiTs)

The proposed Feed in Tariff will offer guaranteed payment to a renewable energy generator for each kWh generated. The tariff, to be introduced in April 2010, has been specifically designed for small-scale renewable electricity generation (less than 5MW capacity). Its aim is to be simple, accessible and hassle-free and to offer greater benefits to generators of power in relation to income certainty and income above wholesale electricity price.

The value of the FIT comprises three elements

– (i) A fixed payment from the electricity supplier for every kWh generated and used onsite – (ii) A guaranteed minimum payment (additional to an onsite generation tariff) for every kWh exported – (iii) Generators receiving FIT will benefit from on-site use: offset generation electricity would otherwise have had to buy

The tariff levels ensure benefits from (i), (ii) and/or (iii) compensate for the costs of investment and provide a rate of return.

Please refer to the attached document that provides the FiT figures recently announced by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

The tariff levels for the electricity financial incentives (pence), calculated to offer between 5- 8% return on initial investment in the technology are:

Tariff levels for electricity financial incentives Tariff level for new Tariff installations in period Technology Scale lifetime (p/kWh) [NB tariffs will be (years) inflated annually]

Year 1: Year 2: Year 3: 1.04.10- 1.04.11- 1.04.12- 31.03.11 31.02.12 31.03.12

PV ≤4 kW (new build) 36.1 36.1 33.0 25

PV ≤4 kW (retrofit) 41.3 41.3 37.8 25

Wind ≤1.5kW 34.5 34.5 32.6 20

Wind >1.5 - 15kW 26.7 26.7 25.5 20

Wind >15 - 100kW 24.1 24.1 23.0 20

Envirolink has been made aware that organisations may not be able receive certain grants and claim a Feed in Tariff.

It is recommended that the client contacts the relevant grant administrators for any grants already secured or intending to apply for to investigate whether a Feed in Tariff payment can be claimed in addition to receiving the grant.

The client may need to make a judgement on whether the grant or the FiT payment is the most beneficial to the project. Therefore, the grant contribution towards the renewable energy installation will need to be compared to the estimated lifetime income from the FiT.

Although the inability to claim a FiT payment will extend the payback period of a renewable energy installation, if a grant is the only method of funding an installation, the cost savings achieved over the lifetime of the installation will still provide a payback in addition to an improved environmental performance.

4. Small Wind Turbine

4.1 Wind speeds

The Department for Energy & Climate Change (DECC) Windspeed Database has provided the following data detailing the annual mean wind speed for the 1km grid square SJ6281 (postcode WA4 4PG):

5.6 m/s at 10m 6.3 m/s at 25m 6.8 m/s at 45m

The squares highlighted in red display the wind speeds for the 1km grid square for WA4 4PG at the three stated heights. The grid squares around the square highlighted in red shows the adjacent 1km grid squares to the client’s location.

It should be noted that wind speed data is only an estimation tool and should be used for guidance only. Ideally, anemometers should be installed for 12 months or more to ascertain accurate wind data for the specific site where the installation of a wind turbine(s) is being considered.

4.2 Estimated payback figures

The indicative figures provided below are based on wind turbines that could generate a significant contribution towards the electricity consumption of the site, which are detailed below:

Supply 1 = 33,500 kWh Supply 2 = 104,000 kWh Site total = 137,500 kWh

It should be noted that the annual electricity output for the wind turbines has been estimated by multiplying the power curve for specific machines by the statistical distribution of wind speeds for the site over a year. The estimation tool uses manufacturer-published power curve data. Power curves show the power output of the turbine at varying wind speeds.

However, if the client chooses to progress wind as an electricity generation source for the site, detailed technical advice should be obtained from a preferred north west based wind turbine supplier/installer certified to the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).

Option 1 – 11 kW horizontal axis:

Can be connected to a 3-phase phase supply to G83 requirements

Two 11 kW turbines (i.e. 22 kW) connected to a 3-phase supply will require your preferred installation contractor to apply to Scottish Power for a connection agreement prior to commencing any installation works.

Indicative site 5.6 m/s Capacity (kW) 11 Stand alone height (m) 10m kWh generated /year 38,439 Indicative capital cost (Installed) £ £60,000 Tariff (£/kWh) £0.267 Tariff income £10,263 Electricity savings (70%of electricity generated at £2,287 8.5p per unit) Electricity exported at 3p per unit (£/year) £346 Total revenue per year £12,896 Simple payback (years) 5

Estimated annual CO2 savings (tonnes) 20.64

Option 2 – 50 kW horizontal axis:

Will require your preferred installation contractor to apply to Scottish Power for a connection agreement prior to commencing any installation works.

Indicative site 6.3 m/s Capacity (kW) 50 Stand alone height (m) 25m kWh generated /year 171,487 Indicative capital cost (Installed) £ £235,000 Tariff (£/kWh) £0.241 Tariff income £41,328 Electricity savings (70%of electricity generated at £10,203 8.5p per unit) Electricity exported at 3p per unit (£/year) £1,543 Total revenue per year £53,075 Simple payback (years) 4.5

Estimated annual CO2 savings (tonnes) 92.09

It can be seen from the figures for 11 kW wind turbine that it is possible to generate a significant contribution to the on-site electricity consumption with the installation of three separate turbines, one for each aspect of the business. Although the turbine should accommodate an increase in electricity demand expected at The Fileroom Ltd, it does not meet the demand for the farms. Three 11 kW turbines are expected to save 61 tonnes of CO2 per annum. Subject to an application, this could result in an interested free loan from the Carbon Trust of up to £41,000.

It should also be noted that two turbines will need to be installed onto one of the supplies, which will require your preferred installation contractor to apply to Scottish Power for a connection agreement prior to commencing any installation works.

However, a larger turbine such as a 50 kW turbine has greater economies of scale and a shorter payback period. At 6.3 m/s, a 50 kW turbine mounted on a 25 metre tower is expected to generate enough electricity for the whole site. A 50 kW turbine is expected to save 92 tonnes of CO2 per annum. Subject to an application, this could result in an interested free loan from the Carbon Trust of up to £61,000.

It should also be noted that the turbine will need to be installed onto one of the supplies, which will require your preferred installation contractor to apply to Scottish Power for a connection agreement prior to commencing any installation works.

Examples of the 11 kW turbine can be seen at:

Wilcocks Farm caravan site (located near Bolton) www.wilcocksfarmcaravansite.co.uk Hope Academy (Newton-le-Willows high school) http://www.hopeacademy.org.uk/updates/turbine.html

Turbine installed at a caravan park near Bolton

Tubular tower option Lattice tower option

It is recommended that North West based suppliers/installers are contacted to provide accurate costings for the supply and installation of a wind turbine and electricity generation figures based on their specified turbine. Contact details of accredited suppliers/installer are provided in section 6 of this report.

5. Planning Advice

A separate document providing planning advice relating to the deployment of small scale wind turbines will be provided to the client by Envirolink’s Planning Specialist.

6. Renewable Energy and Rainwater Harvesting Supplier Details

Please note that to claim income through the Feed in Tariff, you MUST use an installer accredited to the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). It is recommended that you request evidence of their certification for the renewable energy technologies being installed and keep on file.

Sustainable Energy Systems Tel: 01772 361010 / 0845 539282 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.sustainableenergysystems.co.uk

Eco-Environments Ltd

David Hunt

Tel: 0151 922 5936

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.eco-environments.co.uk

Energi

Mark Dickinson

Tel: 07805212434

Web: www.energiplc.co.uk

Turbine Services (wind/ Hydro) Ltd

Miles Postlethwaite

Tel: 01900 85 616

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.turbineservices.co.uk

Renewables Solutions UK Ltd

Mike Lowes

Tel: 0845 2247001

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.renewablesolutionsuk.co

Sundog Solar

Andy Mason

Tel: 07766 036037 / 01768 482 282

Web: www.sundog-energy.co.uk

The Envirolink Northwest Microgeneration Directory 2010 can be sent to the client once this has been printed.