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FULL REPORT: Council rejects landmark turbines proposal
A CONTROVERSIAL plan to build 11 wind turbines in Swinford was thrown out by Harborough district councillors on Tuesday night (Mar 10).
About 100 people turned up for the crunch planning meeting at Harborough District Council's offices in Harborough to hear the councillors' decision over energy firm Nuon's proposal for 11 wind turbines, each 125 metres tall, on land between Swinford and Walcote.
It was a precedent-setting meeting for councillors as it was the first of a number of wind turbine applications to come before the committee.
WEBSITE EXCLUSIVE: See below for a prcis of all 16 speakers' comments.
However, its decision to refuse planning permission is not binding as Government minister Hazel Blears announced on Wednesday last week (Mar 4) that she will ultimately adjudicate on the proposal.
Councillors threw out the plan due to the turbines 'harmful' impact on the setting of the nearby 17th century Grade I-listed Stanford Hall and its Grade II-listed historic grounds. The concerns were strongly backed by English Heritage.
But in a nod to future wind farm applications, head of planning Gareth Jones told councillors that concerns over health, public safety, noise, wildlife, 'shadow flicker' and sleep deprivation would likely not be legitimate reasons for refusal as Government guidelines override these issues.
Mr Jones likened the situation to the numerous phone mast applications put before the council several years ago.
Passions ran high during the two-hour meeting and many of the audience wore Stop the Swinford Wind Farm Action Group (SSWFAG) badges.
A total of 16 people spoke on the application - a record for a planning meeting in recent times - and speeches were often ended with applause from audience members. A dozen of those speakers were against the turbines.
Prcis of all 16 speakers' comments, in the order in which they spoke:
Nick Fothergill, owner of Stanford Hall, said the hall is a Grade I-listed house built in 1697 during the reign of Queen Anne and has been in his family since 1430.
The 900-acre grounds are Grade II-listed, he said, and include oak trees 300 years old. It is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Mr Fothergill said the hall and its grounds accommodates 46,000 visitors a year.
He objected to the 'visual impact' of the turbines and said the tips of the turbines would be particularly visible during the winter months.
Swinford resident Robert Elkington, a member of SSWFAG, spoke out against the landscape and visual impact of the turbines on the countryside. He said the site was 'ill-chosen' and added: "The impact on this location is unacceptable."
Dave Havergill, of Swinford and SSWFAG, who has a degree in acoustics said he had carried out a full assessment of noise impact.
He expressed concerns over low-frequency noise levels and said Nuon's conclusions had left significant 'shortcomings'.
Consultant surgeon Guy Finch, of SSWFAG, said there was 'ample evidence' that turbines caused a detriment to health.
Dr Christopher Hanning, an emeritus director of the sleep deprivation clinic at University Hospitals of Leicester, said Nuon's data on the subject was 'outdated' and included 'discredited assertions'.
Dr Melanie Aram, of SSWFAG and a GP living in the local area, spoke about the impact of 'shadow flicker' from rotor blades of turbines.
She said there were cases of people having seizures and epilepsy as a result of shadow flicker.
Dawn Money, of Poplars Farm between Walcote and Swinford, told councillors three generations of her family live at the site and would be affected by the turbines.
"This will devastate the character of the area," she said.
Recently-retired surgeon Ivan Moule, of Swinford, who has three children at Swinford Primary School, told councillors there was an example of 'blade failure' at a wind turbine in Croft in January 2007.
He said it was a "disaster waiting to happen".
Hazel Tebbutt, of South Kilworth, said Westminster had 'gone mad' in trying to push through wind turbine plans.
She said it was 'vandalism of the countryside' and added: "Windfarms come at a prohibitive price."
Ian Eperon, a professor of biochemistry at Leicester University and someone who has lived in the district for 25 years, said the turbines would have an adverse impact of the Avon Valley. He said the height was 'grossly disproportionate'.
Angela Alderman, who lives nearby, said she feared for her 'friends living in the loft' – long-eared bats.
She expressed her concerns for the bats and said the 'bat-detecting equipment' used by Nuon would not have picked up on the existence of the long-eared bat variety.
Cathy Ratcliffe, a Swinford resident of 17 years, said: "There is quite an array of birds of prey (in the area] not to mention the risk to migratory birds coming through."
She said buzzards, sparrow hawks, red kites and osprey had been seen in the area which would be put at risk by the blades of the turbine.
Herbert Hepple, of the Pro-Wind Alliance and a parish councillor in the Blaby area, said he had great respect for the countryside an was a member of the National Trust, CPRE and the Ramblers' Association.
He said: "A lot of the arguments being put forward by them (SSWFAG] are scaremongering."
He pointed out the Advertising Standards Authority had rapped the SSWFAG over some of its literature.
In relation to separation issues between turbines and homes, he said other countries such as Germany had not felt the need to place a statutory limit on separation.
Graham Jordan, of the PWA, said: "This is not just about a windfarm. It is a key piece of the jigsaw in changing our ways to a more sustainable future."
He added: "It is a completely benign form of development. If you (councillors] are serious about your commitment to the Nottingham Declaration (on climate change] you need to think carefully."
Graham Davey, project manager at Nuon, said: "We feel that having taken a long, hard look at the project and site over many months, it is appropriate in scale and consistent with the landscape."
He said all the statutory consultees were happy with the scheme except English Heritage.
Mr Davey was quizzed by councillors about why data from an anemometer in Bedfordshire was used in its report rather than the one currently in place in Swinford.
He said the Beds mast gave a more accurate reading and for a longer time period, which drew sarcastic laughs from some of the audience.
The speakers finished at about 7.45pm and the floor was passed to the councillors for debating the issue.
Cllr David Beaty said farmers struggle to get planning permission for buildings five metres' high because they are considered out of keeping with the countryside.
He added that the Government should 'pump' money into other potential sources of green energy 'rather than scarring our beautiful countryside with these turbines'.
Cllr Barbara Johnson said Stanford Hall was one of only two country houses in Leicestershire to be included in Simon Jenkins' book England's Thousand Best Houses.
There were some outbursts from the public gallery during the councillors' debates and chairman Bill Liquorish had to politely ask people to remain quiet.
Hazel Blears, the Secretary of State for the Communities and Local Government department, is presiding over the decision because in January Nuon lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate against the failure of Harborough District Council to determine the application within the statutory 16-week period. No time scale has been given over when this decision might be made.
After the meeting Cllr Sarah Hill said: "It was the right result for the district as there is no chance we can be liable for costs from the applicant. It is best for everything to be gone through at the inquiry.
"Gareth Jones is right - it's like where we were with cellphone masts a few years back."
CONCERNS were raised at the meeting over faulty rotor blades potentially breaking off and hitting nearby Swinford Primary School.
Cllr John Everett, Cllr Janette Ackerley and speaker Ivan Moule all raised fears over 'blade failure' which they said could affect Swinford Primary 1,500 metres away from some of the 11 proposed turbines.
Cllr John Everett, who is the ward councillor for the area, said there had been a number of examples of 'jettisoned blade fragments being snapped off' which have travelled as far as 1,500 metres away.
However, Cllr Amanda Burrell questioned the likelihood of such an occurrence happening.
Cllr Everett responded: "It is extremely low but not impossible. Because it's possible, we have to decide how far away is safe for the almost-impossible to be ruled out completely."
According to the agenda documents, the board of governors at Swinford School has objected to the proposal due to concerns over low-frequency noise pollution, health concerns, road safety, visual impact and worries that parents may opt to send their children to other schools 'not in the shadow of a wind farm'.
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Weather for Market Harborough
Thursday 17 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
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Temperature: 9 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North east
