Manor Farm Corsley Warminster Wiltshire BA12 7QE Consultation Response to Planning Application 14/08778/FUL To Jemma Foster Economic Development and Planning, Wiltshire Council, Trowbridge, BA14 8JN Dear Ms Foster I am writing to OBJECT to the above application for the following reasons. 1) History. Manor Farm Corsley is a listed grade II* building which was constructed by Sir John Thynne who built Longleat at the same time in the 1560s. Many famous Elizabethans stayed here including the Thynne family, Sir Walter Raleigh and his brother Carew. My family and I have lived at Manor Farm Corsley for 20 years, and the house today is virtually the same as it was when it was built 450 years ago. 2) Turbine distance from the house. The turbine will be seen from the top and first floor of the house including what is known locally as “Raleigh’s Room”, in the winter and spring when the copse to the north is not in leaf. The turbine is 1,010 metres away from the house. 3) Turbine distance from grounds and setting. The turbine will be seen from the grounds all year round, some 800 metres distance away. The turbine will be just 600 metres from Manor Farm’s wider setting on the edge of the land under our ownership and historically part of Lord Bath’s Longleat Estate. 4) Visitors. Over the years we have received many requests from the local community to hold events at Manor Farm, and about 1,000 visitors on average come to these events each year. These include: - the Elizabethan Evening – those who attend this annual event for outdoor theatre - Warminster and Frome Arts Societies to paint in the grounds - Corsley Festival Choir and their guests - The Church for various events - Local schools - Parish lunch and outdoor sports. These events have helped to raise significant funds for the local community, but just as important Manor Farm and its setting have provided a venue for many happy occasions. 5) Conclusion. Wiltshire Council planners will need to weigh up in the balance the benefits and the harms of this development, specifically the amount of clean electricity the turbine produces against the impact it will have on the landscape, heritage and amenity of those living close by. There are people living much closer to the turbine than the residents of Manor Farm, and in terms of historic and landscape impact, Cley Hill is in a league all of its own. But the effect of this turbine on all those who visit Manor Farm and its ability to provide enjoyment and funds to the community, cannot be dismissed. It needs to be added to the list of concerns and anxieties expressed by others – for the planning authority to pass judgement. Chris da Costa, 28 October 2014 .