Too close for comfort
Did you know that in order to protect residents from noise and the possible health effects of living near windfarms, Local Planning Authorities have the right to establish a minimum distance between new wind turbines and existing dwellings? This is known as “set back distance”.
Current thinking is that this distance should be a minimum of 2km for turbines of the size planned for the Chelveston Airfield.
In Scotland, Planning Advice calls for a 2km set back on new turbines and while citizens of England currently enjoy no such explicit protection, Planning Policy Statement 22 (PPS 22, para 22: Noise) clearly establishes the right of Local Planning Authorities to define a set back minimum distance:
‘Local planning authorities should ensure that renewable energy developments have been located and designed in such a way to minimise increases in ambient noise levels. Plans may include criteria that set out the minimum separation distances between different types of renewable energy projects and existing developments.’
Indeed, Lincolnshire County Council is already putting in place a Planning Protocol which will call for a 2km set back for large turbines.
Moreover, a Bill which has been recently tabled in the House of Lords, “Wind Turbines (Minimum distances from Residential Premises) Bill (HL)”, states that the ‘minimum’ distance requirement should be 2000m for turbines which are between 100m and 150m high, ie the height of those planned for Chelveston Airfield.
The following diagrams show the impact of applying the 2km set back principle to CRE’s proposal. They illustrate that all the turbines will be within 2km of a dwelling somewhere.
- 2km radius for turbines EN2, BB3 and BB6
- 2km radius for turbines EN5 and BB5
PRESERVE is writing to both Bedfordshire and East Northants Councils to suggest that they exercise their right, on behalf on their constituents, to require minimum set back distances of at least 2km in line with current thinking.
PRESERVE is also writing to the 3 local MPs to request them to consider encouraging the Councils to take a similar step to Lincolnshire and set their own minimum set back distance. Once again, a minmum of 2km would be envisaged in line with the requirements for minimum distance as described in the Wind Turbines Bill (HL) (Section 2.4.c).
East Midlands MEP, Roger Helmer, is already campaigning for national adoption of a minimum set back distance.
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Please add your voice to the above campaign for a 2km set back distance:
Write to your local council:
Bedfordshire: Iain Blackley, Head of Development Management, Planning Services, Bedford Borough Council, Town Hall, St Paul’s Square, Bedford, MK40 1SJ.
email planning@bedford.gov.uk
East Northants: Trevor Watson, Head of Planning Services, East Northamptonshire Council, Cedar Drive, Thrapston, Northants, NN14 4LZ.
email planning@east-northamptonshire.gov.uk
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Write to your local MP:
Mr Alistair Burt MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
Mr Peter Bone MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
Ms Louise Bagshawe, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
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Write to Roger Helmer, MEP:
and express your support for his campaign.
address: East Midlands Conservatives, Ground Floor Suite, Three Crowns Yard, High Street, Market Harborough, LE16 7AF.
email: roger.helmer-office@europarl.europa.eu
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Please contact Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government:
Appeal to him to leave PPS 22, para 22: Noise, in place and ideally to strengthen it.
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