Campaigning to protect Oxfordshire's countryside for 75 years
Wind Energy
CPRE does not oppose wind farms and turbines in principle. It considers each case on its merits for impact on the landscape and potential for electricity generation.
Upper Arncott, Buckinghamshire
News Update
2010
August 27th: Cutteslowe wind turbine plans put on hold.
Partnership for Renewables and Oxford City Council are putting the Cutteslowe wind energy project on hold, due to aviation issues. Investigation for the Horspath project will continue as PfR consult further with the MoD.
Tony Duffin, from PfR, said: “It is not uncommon for a potential commercial-scale wind turbine to face some form of aviation issue during the development process – in this case it’s the potential impact on existing radars at RAF Benson and RAF Brize Norton.
"Many design and technical fixes have been developed for resolving such aviation issues and we will be seeking the best resolution in discussion with both the MoD and BAE Systems.
"We are confident that we can work towards a resolution for one of our projects, but addressing the cumulative impact of both will be more challenging.
"Our ongoing work at the Oxford Road site near Horspath will continue, but we won’t be initiating any more work at Cutteslowe Park at present.
"Any decisions to continue work at this site will be made by us, the council and our aviation consultants BAE Systems.”
Environmental and technical studies are ongoing at the Oxford Road site in Horspath and a planning application for a temporary monitoring mast to gather wind data is expected following more talks with the MoD.
- See: Partnership for Renewables Press Release here.
July 7th: CPRE disappointed that Fewcott Wind Farm gets go-ahead on appeal.
The plans to build a wind farm at Willowbank Farm near the M40 at Fewcott have been given the go-ahead by the planning inspector, whose decision was published on 6 July.
Following the lengthy public inquiry, inspector Mr John Watson has ruled that Bolsterstone can build the four 125-metre-tall (400ft) turbines, a control building and access.
The decision came the same day as the public inquiry opened into plans to build a major waste incinerator at nearby Ardley Fields.
This was seen as a key test of policy on wind turbines in Oxfordshire and both CPRE Oxfordshire and local campaigners are extremely disappointed at the result. It could also pave the way for other large turbines in the open countryside.
In his summary the inspector accepted that there would be a degree of harm caused to the landscape, the built environment and local villages, but said: “I conclude that the benefit would outweigh the harm.”
Objectors including CPRE had argued strongly that in this location wind turbines would not be efficient in producing electricity compared to other sites where there was simply more wind, and it was only massive Government subsidies that made these schemes commercially viable.
CPRE will be studying the 40 page report to assess if further action may be justified.
Reacting to the decision, Michael Tyce, CPRE Oxfordshire Branch Executive, said:
“It is certainly disappointing news, to say the least, for CPRE and all the others who have worked so hard at the Inquiry to persuade the Inspector to support the Cherwell Councillors’ unanimous refusal of this application. It is very disappointing indeed that the Inspector has decided to allow the Oxfordshire countryside and its rich heritage to be blighted by four wind turbines, as high as the London Eye and visible for ten miles around.
But it is really disappointing for the residents of Fritwell and Fewcott who will have to live under their overpowering presence for at least the twenty-five years for which the turbines are permitted – and who are now being threatened with a waste incinerator as well in the separate inquiry presently in progress.
We knew when we went into this that in terms of energy policy the dice have been loaded by the Government in favour of wind turbines and against the countryside and all who live in it.
However, in this case it does seem to us on an initial reading of the decision that the Inspector has loaded the dice even more by ignoring the policy recommendations of the Highways Agency about safety on the motorway, and by apparently misinterpreting the evidence that the turbines would produce very little renewable energy. On top of this he appears to have taken a pretty dismissive view of the impact on listed buildings, parks and gardens - unlike other Inspectors in very similar circumstances.
We fear this decision is likely to lead to a flood of similar applications up and down the M40, which will be that much harder for us to fight as a result.
Unfortunately, the only further appeal now is take this to the High Court, which is an expensive route to take, especially for a charity like CPRE and the other objectors, when there is no certainty of success. We will be looking at this closely in the next few weeks. This space is worth watching. “
- See: Oxford Times (7 July).
- See: Inspector's decision letter here.
July 2010: Public Inquiry into Fewcott wind farm concluded on 7 June.
The major public inquiry into the Fewcott wind farm at Willowbank Farm near Ardley, held by Inspector Mr John Watson, finally concluded on 7 June 2010 after hearing closing submissions from the main parties. It had been adjourned several times since March to hear further evidence on noise, Oxford airport and aviation issues, and the final summing up.
The inquiry decision should be made before the end of July. The result of this appeal could have a bearing on several similar windfarm proposals in Oxfordshire that are understood to be “in the wings”.
- See: CPRE Oxfordshire's Closing Submission to the Public Inquiry.
12 May 2010: New wind farm plan unveiled for Bukinghamshire will dominate north Oxfordshire skyline.
Ecotricity proposes to build nine 79-metre turbines at Four Winds Farm in Upper Arncott, near the M40. Although the site lies within Aylesbury Vale District, Buckinghamshire, Four Winds Farm is very close to the Cherwell boundary and will therefore dominate north Oxfordshire's skyline.
Dale Vince, Ecotricity founder and managing director, said: “Our aim is always for maximum environmental benefit with minimum environmental impact. Before we’ll consider building a wind park we have to be sure that it will be a good neighbour to local people and wildlife for its entire life. If we can’t be sure of that, then we walk away.”
Mr Vince said before the plans were submitted for planning approval, the site had to satisfy strict criteria.
These include proximity to housing, its relationship with local wildlife, compatibility with radar and analogue TV signals, and a suitable National Grid connection nearby.
The company will also be looking at the average wind speed over the site.
The firm is holding an open day at Arncott Village Hall on Thursday, May 27, from noon to 7pm, where it will reveal details of its proposal.
Villagers in Fewcott, Ardley and Fritwell are aleady fighting plans by Chesterfield-based company Bolsterstone to build a wind farm at Willowbank Farm, south of the M40 near Ardley. The firm was refused permission for four 125-metre turbines by Cherwell District Council, but forced a public inquiry, which is due to conclude in June 2010.
CPRE Oxfordshire, which objected to the proposed wind farm at Fewcott, will be attending the open day and will be following developments closely.
27 April 2010 : Public Inquiry into Fewcott wind farm now adjourned until 17th May.
The public inquiry into the Fewcott wind farm, held by Inspector Mr John Watson, was initially adjourned until the end of April. Further evidence on Noise was heard on 22nd April, and evidence about Oxford airport and Aviation issues will be heard on the 30th. However, the Inquiry will then be adjourned until 17th May when further Aviation issues and summing up are planned.
17 March 2010 : Public Inquiry adjourns until 22nd April.
The public inquiry, held by the new inspector, Mr John Watson, has now heard most of the evidence from the main parties and was adjourned on Wednesday 17th March until April.
Further evidence on Noise will be heard on 22 April and evidence about Oxford airport and Aviation issues will be heard on 30 April (which should be the last day of the inquiry).
The inspector made extensive site visits, taking in important distant views from places such as Rousham and Aynho, on Thursday 18 March. To assist, two “blimps” were flown from the application site at a height corresponding to the proposed wind turbines (ie about 130 metres).
Detailed evidence against the development has been given by Ardley with Fewcott Parish Council and by the CPRE. The inquiry has also been well attended by concerned residents of the villages close to the site.
March 2010: Public Inquiry begins into Fewcott wind farm.
The public inquiry into the Fewcott wind farm proposal by Bolsterstone began on 9 March.
Michael Tyce, CPRE Chairman for Thame District, will be representing CPRE Oxfordshire at the inquiry and will be presenting CPRE's case against the proposed wind farm on the grounds that it will adversely affect the local landscape and environment.
January 2010: Public Inquiry into Fewcott wind farm.
The public inquiry into the Fewcott wind farm proposal by Bolsterstone plc is to begin on 9 March 2010 and is to be held at Bodicote House, Bodicote, Banbury. The Inspector is Mr John Woolcock.
In April 2009, planning permission was refused when Cherwell District Council planning committee voted unanimously against their own officer's recommendations that the proposed £10m four-turbine facility on farmland between Fewcott and Fritwell be given approval.
Local residents, along with CPRE Oxfordshire, opposed the wind farm, claiming it was an inappropriate site.
However, in November, it was announced that Bolsterstone was to appeal the decision.
CPRE Oxfordshire will be represented at the public inquiry and will be objecting to the proposed wind farm on the grounds that it will adversely affect the local landscape and environment.
2009
November 17th 2009: Bolsterstone appeals the decision on the wind farm at Fewcott.
Cherwell District Council have confirmed that Bolsterstone are appealing the decision on the wind farm at Fewcott. It will now go to a Public Inquiry in the Spring of 2010.
In April 2009, Cherwell District Council planning committee voted unanimously against their own officer's recommendations that the proposed £10m four-turbine facility on farmland between Fewcott and Fritwell be given approval.
Local residents, along with CPRE Oxfordshire, opposed the wind farm, claiming it was an inappropriate site.
- See below for more details...
- See Oxford Times (26 November).
November 5th 2009: City Council planning wind turbine in Cutteslowe Park.
Plans are being drawn up to build a giant wind turbine in Cutteslowe Park, North Oxford. Oxford City Council says it is ready “to dispose of” more than ten acres of land in the park to allow a turbine to be built next to the A40 as part of its bid to make Oxford a national leader in developing major wind energy schemes.
The news comes just three months after the city unveiled a scheme to build a £3m turbine, with a combined blade and tower height of 130m, on council-owned land between the Cowley Mini works and Horspath.
The council wants to create wind turbines on both the northern and southern edges of the city. They would be two of the first wind energy developments to be built on council land in the UK.
Both projects would be undertaken with Partnerships for Renewables, set up by the Carbon Trust to work with the public sector.
Details of the plan were set out in a public notice placed in The Oxford Times by the council’s chief executive, Peter Sloman, asking people to submit their views by November 25.
CPRE City District Committee has written to the City Council objecting to the removal of land from Cutteslowe Park.
Objections to the intended disposal of a parcel of land in Cutteslowe Park by the City Council for the pursposes of building a wind turbine must be made in writing, no later than 25th November, and addressed to: The Oxford City Council, St Aldate's Chambers, St Aldate's, Oxford, OX1.
- See: Oxford Times (5 November).
- See: CPRE City District Committee letter of objection to City Council (24 November).
August 25 2009: "Don’t sacrifice landscape for the environment” warns CPRE in response to City Council’s Horspath wind turbine project.
Following the recent news that Oxford City Council is planning a large wind turbine at Horspath Road, CPRE has expressed concern at the City’s enthusiasm for the project and warned that the development - despite its green credentials – could seriously damage the local environment and harm the amenities of local people.
Oxford City Council announced that they had become the first council in England and Wales to commit to having commercial-scale wind energy developed on its land by Partnerships for Renewables. A site has been identified near the Horspath Road athletics track for a single commercial wind turbine, subject to detailed environmental and technical investigations, with the aim of submitting a planning application by 2011.
- See: CPRE Press Release (25 August).
- See: Oxford Times (20 August).
- See Oxford Journal (27 August).
- See: Oxford Mail (31 August).
- See: Oxfordshire Green Party Press Release (31 August).
- See: National Wind Watch (31 August).
April 23 2009: Cherwell District Council throws out wind farm proposal.
Cherwell District Council planning committee has voted unanimously against their own officer's recommendations that the proposed £10m four-turbine facility on farmland between Fewcott and Fritwell be given approval.
Local residents, along with CPRE Oxfordshire, had opposed the wind farm, claiming it was an inappropriate site.
District Councillor Catherine Fulljames claimed that the application was contrary to local and national planning policies. She said: 'The proposed windfarm has a significant impact in the landscape and should not be permitted.'
Council leader Barry Wood said: 'As a council we are committed to doing what we can to stop climate change, but that does not mean commitment overrides common sense.'
Cherwell’s decision coincided with a decision by a District Council in Norfolk which refused a similar six-turbine windfarm, saying “the height and number of turbines and the movement of the turbine blades will constitute a substantial and discordant feature and will have a significant adverse impact upon the character and landscape quality of the surrounding area”. Their decision was upheld by two Planning Inquiries and by the High Court.
CPRE was delighted at Cherwell's decision and believes that planning permission must not be granted for windfarms which would blight open countryside. In the public interest, a proper balance needs to be struck between the renewable energy production available from inland windfarms and the high and permanent landscape damage they can cause.
- See: Cherwell District Council Press Release.
- See: CPRE letter to Oxford Times (7 May).
January 22 2009: Deadline for comments on application by Bolsetersone for Fewcott Wind Farm.
CPRE Oxfordshire has submitted its comments on the application by Bolsterstone Innovative Energy (Ardley) Ltd for a wind farm at Fewcott, calling for the application to be refused. The deadline was 22 January.
CPRE in general considers sustainable energy, including power from wind, in a favourable light, providing, as far as wind turbines are concerned, they:
1) do not cause demonstrable harm to residential amenities, including pollution generation; and
2) do not have an unacceptable visual impact; and
3) do not cause adverse impacts, whether to residents, highway users or those enjoying countryside recreation, from flicker (by reflection or shadow) or mechanical or wind noise; and
4) will not have a significant adverse impact on nature conservation interests, conservation areas and the character or appearance of the countryside: and
5) will not have a detrimental impact on highway safety.
From the plans and information provided by the applicant, and having researched the site and spoken with local residents, CPRE Oxfordshire considers that this particular proposal appears to fail on all the above criteria.
The sheer scale of turbines reaching to a height of 125 metres is immense, (as way of comparison Beckley TV mast is 168 metres and this can be seen from almost every point in the south of Cherwell District). Inevitably a set of four of these turbines will create an unacceptable visual impact and radically alter the appearance, over a very wide area, of the unspoilt countryside in this area of the District.
CPRE Oxfordshire conclude that this proposal will cause unacceptable damage to the character of the countryside of the District, contrary to a wide number of your old and new Plan policies and recommend that the application is refused.
January 2009: Midcounties Co-op installs test mast at Botley.
The Midcounties Co-op has installed a 60m (200ft) test mast to investigate whether it would be feasible to construct an 850kw wind turbine off Botley Road, in Oxford.
The installation of the mast comes just over a year after Oxford City Council asked the Co-op to withdraw its application so planning officers could investigate whether the tower would spoil views of the city’s famous “dreaming spires”.
The mast is set to remain in place for the next 12 to 18 months to determine whether wind speeds in the area are sufficient to warrant the construction of a 60m mast, fitted with 25m blades, which would be almost 30m (100ft) taller than the nearby Seacourt Tower.
Midcounties Co-op energy and environment manager Mike Pickering said: “This is an investigation to see what type of turbine is needed. The size and the power of the turbine we go for is dependent on the readings we get.” He continued:
“The next step in the planning process would be to work with local residents to make sure everyone is happy with a turbine being there. The company is confident the turbine won’t negatively affect the city’s skyline. It’s away from houses on a location in a field. I actually think it will add to the landscape and show Oxford is serious about renewable energy and the environment.”
Jericho and Osney councillor Colin Cook, the city council’s executive member for development said: “The mast won’t spoil any views of the city’s skyline. However, if the turbine was something completely outrageous, it wouldn’t get past planning. We have got to strike a balance between the need for reducing our carbon footprint and the need to maintain the historic views of Oxford.” He continued: "You can get some absolute monster turbines, but I expect they’re going to go for something smaller, although it depends on the year’s worth of data that they get from the mast.”
CPRE Oxfordshire is concerned that the proposed turbine will seriously damage Oxford's famous skyline.
- See: Oxford Mail (30 December)
- See CPRE letter to Oxford Mail (7 June 2007).
2008
December 2008: Cherwell District Council approves planning application for a 'test' mast at Fewcott.
Cherwell District Council has approved the planning application from Bolsterstone for a “test” mast to be installed at Fewcott near Bicester, for one year to evaluate wind resource. The mast will be 60m tall and will be tied to the ground with guy wires.
CPRE Oxfordshire is concerned that the proposed wind farm will have an adverse visual impact on the largely flat surrounding landscape. Standing at 125 metres, the turbines will be visible over an enormous rural area between Banbury and Bicester. Members of the CPRE Bicester District Committee visited the exhibition and have since visited the proposed site. The Committee will be looking closely at the proposals and researching all angles.
November 2008: Wind turbines proposed for Fewcott, near Bicester.
Bolstertone plc is proposing to build a small windfarm at Fewcott, near Bicester, consisting of four turbines adjacent to the M40, close to Cherwell Valley Services. If constructed the windfarm could generate enough energy from renewable sources to power between 3,777 and 5,380 homes.
The windfarm would help the South East Region reach its renewable energy targets. It would also provide an alternative source of power, at a time when fossil fuels are becoming scarcer and the need to combat climate change is becoming even more urgent.
Public exhibitions were held at Fewcott Community Hall on 13th and 14th November, for local residents from Ardley, Fritwell and Bucknell to learn more about the proposal and to give their response.
Director of Bolsterstone Mike Corker said: “There have been a lot of searches going on over the country for suitable sites. We have probably come up, in three years, with only 10 we think that could be possible. Obviously, somewhere like a motorway corridor is helpful in that the regional spatial strategy for South East England already identifies this area as suitable in landscape terms for renewable energy projects.”
Cherwell District Council said it had received a planning application from Bolsterstone for a “test” mast to be installed for one year to evaluate wind resource. Council spokesman Jo Smith said: “The proposal we have is for one mast only, 60m tall. The mast will be tied to the ground with guy wires.”
Bolsterstone said Fewcott has been considered to be a good location, because it has good wind speed, no aviation issues, no communication links issues, close to a grid connection, was an accessible site, not in a designated protected area and there would be limited visual impact.
March 2008: Wind turbines proposed for Hinksey Heights and Cuttleslowe Park
Wind turbines proposed for Hinksey Heights and Cuttleslowe Park. More information.
February 2008: Wind Turbines proposed on Green Belt in Cowley and Sandford
Plans to build four 125m-tall generators on Green Belt land near Horspath and at Sandford. More information.
August 2007: Westmill (Watchfield)
Construction began this month on five wind turbines at Westmill, Watchfield, near Faringdon, one of the first on-shore wind farms in the south east (see Westmill Wind Farm Cooperative Ltd). The project will be community owned and will provide enough energy to power 3,700 homes.
CPRE Oxfordshire opposed the wind farm at Watchfield on the grounds of its impact on the environment and tranquillity of the Vale of the White Horse.
June 2007: Botley Wind Turbine
Midcounties Co-operative has applied to build a wind turbine near the Seacourt Park and Ride. More information.
Further Information
Published by CPRE Oxfordshire, Punches Barn, Waterperry Road, Holton, Oxfordshire OX33 1PP. 01865 874780.
campaign@cpreoxon.org.uk. www.cpreoxon.org.uk.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England by encouraging
the sustainable use of land and other natural resources in town and country. National website: www.cpre.org.uk.