Wind Turbine Update (Provided by Richard Cox - Status as of 16 June 2011) Since the 27 January update there has been several important wind turbine developments affecting Crick. Located within 10km (6.2miles) of Crick church there are now 2 turbines operating, 19 turbines permitted awaiting construction with another 33 turbines in the planning process, a total of 54 turbines with many more beyond 10km. Crick is about to be surrounded by these huge wind turbines and a wind turbine landscape created. In the local area (affecting Daventry District) the current total is up from the 68 turbines reported on 27 Jan to 102 turbines today (see table) and expected to increase further. Most Crick residents will now be familiar with the two Tesco turbines operating at DIRFT. These new landmarks provide a foretaste of things to come. The Tesco turbines are 88 metres (288ft) in height with a rotor diameter of 48 metres (157ft). However, these will be dwarfed by the eight Yelvertoft turbines that have planning permission and the DIRFT Airvolution turbines if they are approved. These will be significantly higher and with a 90 metre (295ft) rotor diameter they will appear three and a half times larger. Wind Turbine Locations – June 2011 A critical development for Crick residents is the Planning Appeal by Volkswind over the decision by DDC to reject the Watford Lodge wind farm planning application. A Public Inquiry will now take place, possibly during October. These turbines if approved will be located within a mile of the southern edge of Crick so are closer to the village than either the Yelvertoft or TESCO turbines. At 126.5m (415ft) all five will be highly visible from Crick and will most likely cause a noise nuisance. Of equal impact to some Crick residents is the proposal by Airvolution to build two wind turbines besides the M1 just south of J18. These will be located within half a mile of the western edge of Crick and at 110m in height and 90m rotor diameter will dominate the currently unspoilt view towards Kilsby. They are also highly likely to cause a noise nuisance for Crick residents. The type of low frequency beating noise produced by wind turbines is similar in nature to what many of us have experienced recently coming from the Gazeley / Butchers Pet Care (BPC) site. The BPC noise was a highly intrusive beating noise and although not especially loud and very localised it was particularly annoying at night for those affected. It was able to travel considerable distances and caused noise complaints from as far away as West Haddon. It took over a year to locate the noise source and then have it silenced by the Environment Agency. Unfortunately getting resolution to wind turbine noise complaints is not so easy. In fact to date none of the many wind turbine noise complaints across the country have been satisfactorily resolved due to the ineffective noise regulations (created by the wind power industry) applying to wind turbines. Anyone watching the recent BBC2 documentary series titled ‘Wind Farm Wars’ will be aware of some of the issues. Some other local developments affecting Crick include: Gamesa has recently announced their intention to build the Watford Gap wind farm consisting of 7 wind turbines of 126m height on land just South of Watford besides the M1. All seven turbines will be highly visible from Crick. Also there are two additional wind turbine planning applications submitted to DDC, each for two wind turbines bordering the Watford Gap wind farm. At Two Hides farm, Watford the proposal is for two turbines of 24.5m in height and at White Barn Farm, Long Buckby for two turbines of 71m in height. Cetis has reduced the number of turbines from 8 to 6 proposed for Lilbourne. Scottish and Southern have submitted their planning application to Rugby Borough Council for 9 turbines of 126m in height for the Bransford Bridge, Churchover wind farm. E.ON has recently appealed the decision by DDC to reject the Kelmarsh wind farm. A public inquiry will take place, possibly during September. The four Low Spinney turbines have now been built for over 2 months but are awaiting a grid connection before they can begin operation. These 125m high turbines although located over 10 miles away are clearly visible from parts of Crick and the surrounding area. The Harrington wind turbines were rejected by DDC and following a planning appeal. However, we now understand that Nuon will be submitting a new planning application for 3 similar turbines at the same site. Lobbying at Westminster by our MP Chris Heaton-Harris and other local MPs against inappropriately sited wind turbines (Northamptonshire is one of the lowest wind resource parts of the UK) is gradually gaining momentum and is now influencing Government policy. It is expected that the ROC wind power subsidy (currently adding £200 to the average electricity bill) will be reduced and the Localisation Bill currently going through parliament will give local people and Parish Councils a much greater say in planning decisions. However, for most of the current batch of planning applications, these regulatory and planning changes will come too late as developers have rushed their applications to beat the changes in legislation. We see this with other developments affecting Crick, specifically DIRFT 3, SUE (the 6,200 houses on the BT aerial site that will join DIRFT with Rugby) and more recently the proposed development for 135 houses on the NW edge of Crick, (removing the remaining area of green belt between Crick and the M1/industrial estates). If these developments concern you then please contact to the Parish Council or write to your MP, Chris Heaton-Harris (email: [email protected]). Without robust local opposition these developments will almost certainly go ahead, permanently industrialising and urbanising our village environment. Wind Power Developer No. Turbine Height in Status Distance to Development Turbines MW metres Crick church Crick DIRFT Tesco 1 0.8 88 Operational 1.5km/0.9m Kilsby DIRFT Tesco 1 0.8 88 Operational 2.4km/1.5m Crick DIRFT Airvolution 2 2 110 Application expected July 1.0km/0.6m Yelvertoft Your Energy 8 2.5 125 Approved on Appeal (DDC) 3km/1.9m Lilbourne Cetis for 6 2 125 DDC Planning application 3km/1.9m HEMEX Watford Volkswind 5 2.5 126.5 Refused by DDC. Appeal in 2km/1.2m Lodge progress Watford Gap Gamesa 7 2 126 Planning application to DDC 5km/3.1m expected June/July Winwick E.ON 7 2.5 126.5 DDC Planning application 5km/3.1m Two Hides Bowler 2 0.011 24.5 DDC Planning application 4km/2.5m farm, Watford Energy for H Gilbert White Barn ICE for JO 2 0.25 71 DDC planning application 6km/3.7m farm, Long Adams Buckby Swinford Nuon 11 2.5 125 Approved on Appeal (HDC) 9km/5.6m Kelmarsh E.ON 7 2.5 126.5 Refused by DDC. Appeal in 13km/8m progress Low Spinney Broadview 4 2.5 125 Built but not operational - 16.5km/10.2m HDC N. Kilworth Wind Direct 1 2 126 Lapsed - new application 11km/6.8m for J Miles expected - HDC Harrington Nuon 3 2.5 126 New application expected - 18.5km/11.5m DDC Churchover SSE 9 2 126 Planning application - RBC 11km/6.8m Copston SSE 6 2 125 Planning application to RBC 19.5km/12.1m Magna expected Long Buckby Ashby Anemometer planning 7.0km/4.3m Farms permission Boddington PFR 1 1.5 122 DDC planning application 22km/13.7m Reservoir Beacon Hill TCI 6 2.5 130 Planning application to 17km/10.6m Shuckborough SoADC expected Wormleighton EDF 13 2 126 Development (SoADC) 24km/15m Potential number of 102 turbines Daventry District (and adjoining areas) Wind Power Developments – June 2011 (DDC = Daventry District Council; RBC = Rugby Borough Council; HDC = Harborough District Council, SoADC = Stratford on Avon District Council) .