PROTECT PARISH

A photograph of a similar wind turbine provided by the Renfrees’ agent

THE BEACON PROJECT, DANNETT FARM

Stephen and Gwen Renfree are proposing to erect a 266 ft (81 m) wind turbine (taller than Cathedral) near Pounda (just over a half mile from and within a mile of Quethiock) on the highest point of land right in the centre of Quethiock Parish! What this will mean to you: The Beacon Project will set a precedent for other wind turbines to be erected in our parish. You may feel that this turbine will not directly affect you if you would not see it from your property; however, the next one could be even closer to you! The cumulative impact of wind turbines in our countryside is already causing significant concern to many residents. Approximately 84 properties, over 45% of our entire parish, will be within 1 mile of the proposed wind turbine. The UK Noise Association has determined that people who live within this distance can be adversely impacted by noise, with much of the noise impact occurring at night. The wind turbine will be 266 ft (81 m) high on ground that is 502 ft (153 m) high! This will visually dominate the landscape in our area and surrounding areas and will be seen for many miles, for example from Tregantle Fort on the Rame Peninsula. The Beacon wind turbine will damage our local environment. Wildlife near the wind turbine will suffer. The wind turbine will adversely affect the setting of local historical assets, such as scheduled monuments and listed buildings. Further, the construction will damage our narrow lanes. All Wind (uk) ltd, the agent for the Renfrees, has published a leaflet stating that the proposed wind turbine “will generate enough electricity to fulfill the estimated annual consumption of all the domestic households for the Parish of Quethiock, and some of the households in surrounding parishes.” In fact, this project will not provide electricity directly to our parish and we will not be getting free or cheaper electricity. Rather, the power generated will go directly to the National Grid, and we will all pay higher electricity bills. This is because the National Grid is required to pay higher than wholesale prices for this electricity, and further, the National Grid is required to pay wind turbine owners when the turbines are shut down because of high winds. The only people who will benefit financially are Stephen & Gwen Renfree and All Wind (uk) ltd. Under the Feed-in-Tariff scheme at current rates, the wind turbine will generate £323,400 of tax-free revenues per year. Revenue is paid for at least 20 years, and the revenue can be reasonably projected to pay for the development costs within the first four years. The Valuation Office Agency has recently admitted that wind farms can devalue homes, having been forced to re-band some homes near wind turbines into lower council tax categories. Two local homeowners within just over half a mile of the proposed Beacon wind turbine who currently have their house on the market have been informed by their estate agent that 40% will be wiped off the value of their property should this development go ahead. The Global Warming Policy Foundation has warned that wind energy is an extraordinarily expensive and inefficient way of reducing CO2 emissions. OVERALL THE CHARACTER, PEACEFULNESS AND TRANQUILITY OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH WE ALL ENJOY, WILL BE DESTROYED. What you can do to help stop this:

Write a letter objecting, including the words “I object to”’ and mentioning the Beacon Wind Turbine Project, Dannett Farm, and encourage all members of your household to write individually, to the following ASAP: Cornwall Councilor Bernie Ellis, 2 Pensipple Cottage, , , Cornwall PL144SP Office of Sheryll Murray MP, Windsor Place, Liskeard, Cornwall PL144BH. Sign a petition to prevent proliferation of wind turbines in Cornwall: www.freepetition.co.uk/cornwall/ petition/protect-landscape-from-turbines. The Quethiock newsletter and local notice boards will have dates of meetings and exhibitions should you wish to attend. For more information you can contact Susan Concannon ([email protected], 348674), Alison Jeffrey ([email protected], 345255), Helen Lester-Hinchliffe ([email protected]), Kath Nichols ([email protected], 383212), or Paul Concannon, Naomi Jones or Richard Pyshorn.