Application – 55 kW wind turbine, South Bofindle Farm, Mount, Warleggan
STATUS: Approved with conditions
see: decision notice (28/01/13) – officer report (28/01/13) – other documents
>> BBC NEWS: Cornwall wind turbine approved after parish decision change – Warleggan Parish Council had voted against the proposals for South Bofindle Farm in December. It changed its decision after being contacted by Cornwall Council planners… BBC News, Cornwall, 05/02/2013
proposed for both Bofindle Farm and South Bofindle Farm
from fineenergy.wordpress.com
click to see larger image
By a majority of four to three, the Planning Sub-Committee at the parish meeting of Thursday 20th December 2012 had voted not to support application PA12/10968 for “Installation of a single small-scale 55 kW wind turbine on a 36 m Monopole tubular tower (up to 47 m tip height) with 3 blades and a rotor diameter of 19.2 m and associated equipment’ at South Bofindle, Mount, Bodmin, PL30 4DU.” Full details of the discussions and decisions made are given in the minutes of the meeting.
Click the link above to find out more about this application, and to review the documents held at Cornwall County Council; note that in the documents listing some of the documents appear unlabelled, but they can still be seen by clicking on the acrobat logo on the left of each row. Comments and letters submitted to Cornwall Council can also be found there, both in favour and against, and those interested can submit their own comments by letter or through their website.
If you wish to see recent observations about this application from readers of Warleggan News, and/or to contribute your own thoughts and ideas, please go down this page until you get to the top of the ‘comments’ section.
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Application – 5 kW wind turbine, Castle Dewey, Warleggan
STATUS: Approved with conditions – erected Nov 2012; up and running
– (decision notice not available online)
A parish meeting was held at the Jubilee Hall on 4th September, where, amongst other things, the planning application was discussed for a small wind turbine at Castle Dewey, PA12/05804. See minutes for this meeting.
Amongst the arguments made in favour were its relatively small height (‘a telegraph pole and a half’), the compatibility of its output (5kW) with the needs of the farm, its ability (according to some) to ‘fit in’ with the topography of the surrounding environment, its low noise levels, its green credentials as an environmentally friendly power source, its role in helping make the farm viable, its compatibility with a culture of centuries of change and progress in the area, and, according to one, the beauty of turbines.
as had been proposed for Castle Dewey and has now been installed there
from greenreview.blogspot.co.uk
click to see larger image
Arguments against included the inappropriateness of its location deep within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and so close to historic sites (tumuli etc.), the insufficient consultation with neighbours, the proximity to some residences, the potential effects on health (both known and unknown), the spoiling of the landscape including when viewed from the road, and the fear of a precedent being set: that if this one is approved, more will surely follow.
The planning sub-committee considered the application, and voted five in favour of the application, and three against.
Background: The proposed turbine is an Evance R9000, 5kW, on a 15 metre tower. Like the turbine proposed for Bofindle (see below), it would be a three-blade turbine, but with a tower less than half the height, with blades less than half the size, and it would produce a tenth of the power output (see photos above).
Note that on the planning website, some of the documents listed appear unlabelled in the ‘associated documents’ window, but can still be viewed by clicking on the PDF logo on the left, including the top listed item, the planning application itself. It can be safely assumed, also, that the listing of it as a 5 watt turbine is also in error.
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Application – 50 kW wind turbine, Bofindle Farm, Mount, Warleggan
STATUS: PA12/05060 (Bofindle Farm) – Application refused, 15th Feb 2013
– (decision notice not available online)
A well-attended meeting was held on 7th August 2012, at which plans for the proposed turbine PA12/05060 at Bofindle Farm, near to Carne Wood, were discussed. Full minutes for this meeting are posted on Warleggan News. Below is an informal brief summary, produced earlier, which is NOT an official record:
- Statements were made, firstly on behalf of the applicant, and secondly in opposition to the proposal.
- A lively discussion followed on the various issues and factors raised.
- The following resolution was proposed, seconded and voted on by Warleggan parishioners through a show of hands – 36 voted in favour of the resolution, and 9 against:
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“This Parish Meeting strongly urges the Parish Planning Sub-Committee to recommend the rejection of the planning application for a wind turbine at Bofindle Farm, Mount. This Meeting would like the parish’s formal response to Cornwall Council – whatever that response is – to be accompanied by the following explanation:
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“The Parish Meeting of Warleggan views the application PA12/05060 as incompatible with the importance and protection afforded to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in current national and local planning policies. As these are due shortly to be superseded, we believe the application could be resubmitted at that time and that, unlike the present application, a wildlife survey is undertaken together with adequate consultation with nearby residents – carried out and recorded according to the Council’s own guidelines.”
- After further discussions, the Planning Sub-Committee then gathered to consider the application PA12/05060, and voted two in favour of the application, three against, and two abstentions.
RESEARCH:
- Review the PA12/05060 wind turbine planning application; and/or find out about other plans in the area by going to the council’s planning search page. Comments to the council on this or any planning applications can be made online, or by letter.
- Why not watch a short video showing the E-3120 turbine in action – for example, there is one produced by an installer Solar Ventus. Or read the 4-page brochure about the turbine produced by the manufacturers, Endurance Wind Power.
- Check out Cornwall Council’s renewable energy webpage, with links to maps showing where various renewable energy projects are happening in the county, along with a series of well written guidance notes, specific to Cornwall, including one looking in detail at onshore wind.
- Or just google away…
Use the ‘comments’ window below to express your views. Please be careful in how you phrase things, especially if you want to disagree with someone else’s comment. The idea of this site is to bring people together …
Comments received by email:
- From Cathy Farnworth, Monday, 6 August 2012, 11:48: Say No Leaflet and letter to the council
- A poem from Roger Farnworth, 6 August 2012, 20:19 on the subject – The Wind Farm: Elegy for a Cornish Village
Comments from new contributors please!
So far, only a limited number of people have offered their opinions, with, clearly, the vast majority opposing wind turbines in Warleggan. As moderator, I’m going to be a bit of a dictator now, and I’m going to ask those who have already expressed their view to hold fire for a while on this subject, as I would like to open the discussion up to more ‘Warlegganites’…
So if you live in Warleggan parish and haven’t written in yet, this is your time to speak – please write in now, whether you’re in favour, against, or in two minds. And, as one person (yes, an oldie!) mentioned at Tuesday’s meeting, it would be especially interesting to see what opinions might be found amongst the younger generation – I guess we are talking about anyone between the age of three and thirty – after all, these are the ones who will likely be in the parish (or county or planet) longer than many of those who have already spoken! So again, whatever your age, send in your thoughts now, whether you’re for, against or undecided!
Just press the ‘leave a comment’ button above, write what you think (or paste from word doc), then press ‘post comment’ below. You might find you’ll have to register – but it doesn’t take a minute. Or, any difficulties with this, email your comment to me at warmount@hotmail.com.
Don’t worry if your comments don’t appear immediately – they all have to be approved as non-spam before they get posted (whether this is your first time to post or not).
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Chris
Mynydd Llansadwrn Action Group Apologies again, I am not very good at this. The review I put on Warleggan News came from this site, I must have chopped the top off. I thought it covered many of the points made at the meeting, giving parishioners time to read and reflect upon many of the issues raised, if they wanted to. I also found the Windbyte site helpful, if a bit mathematical in places! So, apologies again for being a technological imcompetent.
Ok, Janette. Rather than trying to copy and paste a whole long webpage from another website into a comment on this one – let’s just just leave it that Warleggan News readers might be interested to visit the website of the Mynydd Llansadwrn Action Group, a group formed to oppose a scheme to build three 91-metre-high wind turbines on Mynydd Llansadwrn in Wales. The page you were trying to reproduce here is http://www.turbineaction.co.uk/wind-turbine-facts.htm.
I get the impression incomer is someome who moved to Cornwall and who was not born here. Maybe a non incomer can answer this for us.
Please would someone define ‘incomer’ for me. Does it merely relate to people who were not born in Cornwall; to people who were born in Plymouth because of ‘complications’; to people where only one side of the family come from Cornwall or to people who were not born in the Parish? Is there a designated time after which ‘incomers’ become locals? Please explain.
Some of us may not be defined as ‘locals’ but we have struggled long and hard, for a wide variety of reasons, to live in such a wonderful place.
This is a copy of my letter which I have written to Cornwall Council. I felt it was time to stand up and be counted and to start to balance up some of the previous comments.
Ref : PA12/05060
Installation of Wind Turbine at Bofindle Farm, Mount
I support this application by the Applicants for a wind turbine at Bofindle Farm.
I have lived in the village of Warleggan for over 38 years, and whilst accept that I will probably have some view of the turbine, feel it is important to embrace wind energy sources before the demise of coal, oil and gas.
I am reasonably familiar with the residents of the parish but do not recognise a number of the objectors and wonder whether they are familiar with this particular site and the effect of the turbine on the landscape.
A number of the objectors are from neighbouring parishes such as St Neot who are all totally aware of the site location in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and are prepared to withstand the advance of these things. None of us are against renewable energy, I have recently had installed, at my expense, solar panels that are not visible from the road, make no noise and do not stick up in the air to a height of 150ft. The fact that other parishes have strong feelings on other applications shows that this is not a case of Nimbyism and needs to be supported rather than maligned. Several people from this parish attended the farcical meeting in St Neot. and this has been reciprocated in the interests of maintaining our beautiful countryside.
As I was not entitled to make comments or give opinions, despite the fact that I live in the village (but on the “wrong” side of the road) I left before the “final hearing”. What was the decision of the planning committee following the many comments made during the meeting?
On another note I am also concerned about the increase in traffic that will be the result of the Ocean Housing project as I already take my life in my hands when travelling from my property to the junction with the “main” road in the village, but as I have been told quite succinctly, I am not allowed to comment, although I took the opportunity to ask a question. I understand that rules exist for a reason but perhaps a little more empathy could have been shown at the outset of the meeting..the first I have ever attended in 12 years….which was indeed the same for many present. Perhaps I should sell part of my field, within Cardinham Parish, to a property developer, advise Warleggan Parish they can make no comments and then sell up and leave everyone to put up with the result. How sad that “all” within the two villages of Mount and Warleggan were not made as welcome as those who can vote. I was happy to keep my hand down, but surely I am entitled to an opinion when I am going to be affected by any decision. Apologies for the sour grapes, but that is what they are!
I have made my feelings plain with regard to the turbine(s) both on this website and at last night’s meeting (when I was eventually allowed to speak having been mistaken for my husband who has a beard and no hair and had spoken and wasn’t being allowed to speak again !!!) and for the moment I’ll say no more.
On this occasion I turn my attention to the Parish Committee. I fully, and with a great deal of experience, appreciate these good folk are volunteers, receive no payment for representing the community and will be damned by someone whatever they do. However, they are there to represent us all, not just themselves. They must also, by law, act in accordance with rules, regulations and Statute. They should have agreed to a constitution or Standing Orders and signed a ‘Decarations of interest’ form in accordance with the Code of Conduct which should have been formally adopted.
It was clear last night that they did not understand that the Local Ward Member, Mrs Watson, could not join in with the discussion as she would have prejudiced herself and would not have been able to make representation at Cornwall Council’s Planning Meeting and the parish would have lost the vote of its Ward Member.
It was apparent that the Code of Conduct and Declarations of Interest were alien to some as two members should have declared interest and left the room while the matter was being discussed, the meeting would still have been quorate. One left when the point was made to Mrs Watson who had to advise the Chair of Committee. The other was either oblivious to the requirements or decided to stay anyway.
Whilst this parish is represented by a Parish Committee, its members must still act in accordance with Local Governance requirements.
The evidence was there, the parish was opposed, by a vast majority, to the application, yet democracy went out the window as personal preferences by individuals on the Committee appeared to be uppermost.
I am curious as to the reason the Chair of Committee did not vote. The Chair of Committee is entitled to vote and in the event of a tied vote, use a casting vote. This is well documented in many Local Governance publications.
If only Dawn French had walked in, that would have sealed it.
In the largest parish meeting that anyone can remember, the men and women of Mount and Warleggan were overwhelmingly of one opinion. They do not want windfarms in this parish either now or in the future.
Two questions therefore arise. Seeing that the people of Warleggan have spoken so clearly, should the members of the planning committee take note of the views of the people they represent? Now the community have said they will be harmed and distressed by the erection of a wind turbine, should any member of the community, for personal gain, apply in future for turbine planning permission?
Cornwall County Council may still ignore our majority views or minority views unless you write concerning application PA 12/05060 clearly labelled support or objection and e-mail to planning@cornwall.gov.uk or post to 3-5 Barn Lane, Bodmin PL31 1LZ.
For both supporters and objecters a turbine will alter our landscape for the rest of our lives.
Roger Farnworth
BMJ acknowledges health impacts of wind farms
Posted on March 16, 2012
The Low Spinney wind farm near my own village in Leics
The prestigious British Medical Journal has just published an editorial dealing with the health impacts of wind farms, implicitly criticising the authorised noise levels in the UK as too high, and calling for further research. The piece is entitled “Wind Turbine noise seems to affect health adversely and an independent review of the evidence is needed” As a very brief summary, it says that “The evidence for adequate sleep as a prerequisite for human health is overwhelming. Shortly after wind turbines began to be erected close to housing, complaints emerged of adverse effects on health. Sleep disturbance was the main complaint. A large body of evidence now exists to suggest that wind turbines disturb sleep and impair health at distances and external noise levels that are permitted in most jurisdictions. When seeking to generate renewable energy through wind, governments must ensure that the public will not suffer harm from additional ambient noise.” Amen to that.
Sadly the whole paper cannot be accessed via the BMJ web-site with subscribing to the magazine, and copyright prevents me from publishing it here in full. But it strongly supports the arguments made by wind farm objectors (and ignored by government Inspectors) for years: that the health impacts of wind farms on local communities are real, and a matter for concern, and that the effects may extend beyond even the 2km range that has been adopted by some local authorities in planning guidance. It also argues that the noise limits in current UK legislation, and especially the government’s ETSU-R-97, may be set too high. It calls, quite rightly, for an independent review of the evidence so that the public can be reassured, and so that planners and legislators have data they can rely on.
I am delighted that a publication as authoritative as the BMJ has made this point. It would not publish such comments lightly. I am doubly pleased that a co-author of the paper was my friend and neighbour Dr. Chris Hanning, a highly reputed specialist in sleep disorders who worked for years at the Leicester General Hospital. Dr. Hanning advised the local wind farm protest group.
There is a serious issue here, which affects the lives of more and more families and communities as wind farm planning applications break out like a rash over England’s green and pleasant land (and over the moors of Scotland). There are powerful technical and economic arguments against wind farms, but it’s also time for the government to look seriously at the health impacts.
It might have been better if the community had had the chance to be more involved before the planning application went in. Many of us really don’t know what we are talking about. What about a trip to see an identical turbine – there must be one somewhere not too far away – so we can see and (possibly) hear it.
It might be good too, if there was a requirement, from e.g. Cornwall council or nationally, that anyone planning to erect a high structure has to erect a simple temporary flagpole at the proposed site, so people could have some idea how high and visible the final structure would be.
I would also like to suggest that any applications for structures likely to affect those in neighbouring parishes (e.g. large factories, superstores, incinerators, and, yes, turbines) should be discussed by those neighbouring parishes, too.
Finally, it might have helped guide us in our thinking if we had a parish plan of some kind (or even a Bodmin Moor plan) – so that we would have a shared vision for the future: do we want emphasis to be given to promoting the agricultural sector, for example, or organic farming, or tourism, or small industries, or activity-holidays for urban families, or internet-based services, or environmental protection, or forestry, or gorse-based bio-fuel production, or, indeed, renewable energy production… or any combination of these.
Chris, Page 41 of the County document states: Community involvement should be considered an integral part of the development process. In essence, the local community should be engaged, by the developer, at the pre-design stage, conceptual stage, ideally utilising al local exhibition or presentation where community views can be sought and recorded. A second exhibition/presentation should be arranged some weeks prior to the submission of the planning application. This second consultation should allow sufficient time to seek community views/opinions, and take them into consideration, prior to the submission of any final planning application.’
This was patently not adhered to.