News – Wind turbine proposal stalls

December 2007: West Berks Council voted at a full meeting on 3rd December by 33 votes to 13 to refuse the Baydon Meadow turbine planning application. Those voting in favour of the turbine numbered all the minority party councillors present and two elected members from the administration party.

The reasons given for the refusal were landscape character, local resident amenity, and airfield safety. TV Energy was amongst those supporting the proposal and firmly believed there was a very good case for it in the proposed location, as it was understood that recent planning policy, and the applicants themselves, offered sufficient measures to mitigate each of the concerns.

TVE commended the applicants and all those who supported the proposal in the end. However, councillors on all sides agreed on the importance of climate change and installing significant renewable energy generators. Members of the majority political group stated that they were in principle ready to support other large wind energy proposals around West Berkshire.

TVE looks forward to working anew with the Council to help identify possible sustainable wind energy projects in appropriate locations across West Berkshire.

Baydon Meadow Community Wind Turbine

September 2007: A decision on an exciting local wind energy proposal has been deferred – but hopes are high for Berkshire's first community owned wind turbine. Matt Partridge and his wife, Rachel, submitted plans in May 2007 for a wind turbine that would help in the struggle to reduce global warming. If West Berkshire Council grants permission for the project, the local community would be invited to buy shares in the wind turbine, which is likely to cost over £1million, allowing investors to share in the profits.

The proposal would see a single wind turbine of up to 81m to its highest point at Baydon Meadow, approximately 100m north of the M4 and about ¾ mile north-west of the 153m mast at the Membury motorway services. The wind turbine proposed is smaller than the wind turbine visible from the M4 near Reading, at about two-thirds the height. However, because of stronger winds at the Baydon Meadow site, energy output would be roughly equivalent.

TV Energy supports the scheme and its Chief Executive, Keith Richards OBE, said: “As a region the South East is still sadly low on sustainable energy supply. A modest sub-regional target for renewable electricity in Thames Valley/Surrey by 2010 was adopted in the regional planning guidance, and will pass through to the emerging South East Plan. To make this target we need an additional 1.4 MW generating capacity per month up to December 2010. This situation calls for brave and positive steps on the part of our elected representatives. If we're to stand a chance of meeting the targets, significant schemes like the Baydon Meadow Wind Turbine will be essential.”

Matt and Rachel are working with Energy4All to help with their plan to set up a co-operative that, it is hoped, would eventually own and operate the wind turbine. More information about the entire proposal and its background can be found on the Baydon Meadow Community Wind Turbine website.

West Berkshire Seeks to Harness Wood Fuel

A study has recently been commissioned by West Berkshire Council to identify potential biomass heating schemes in West Berkshire's municipal buildings. The study, jointly funded by the Forestry Commission, TV Energy and West Berkshire Council, hopes to establish a number of flagship schemes in the area. Keep an eye on the TV Energy website for developments.

Real Hope for Baydon Meadow Wind

The Regional Planning Inspector has given fresh hope to supporters of the Baydon Meadow single wind turbine proposal, after the appeal against West Berkshire Council's original refusal in October 2003. 

Although the latest planning appeal was turned down on December 2004, the decision roundly rejected the arguments put forward by opponents and makes clear there are conditions whereby the proposal can be acceptable. These specifically relate to possible visual screening methods to be undertaken by the proposer, who is the owner of the site Baydon Meadow near Membury Services on the M4. 

Supporters of sustainability in West Berkshire will be waiting to see if the area's first significant contribution to renewables, and only the Thames Valley's third important wind energy scheme, is able to get the go-ahead in the next phase of planning in 2005.

News - Baydon Meadow Turbine Appealing

Local supporters of the proposed wind turbine at Baydon Meadow on the M4 have been writing to the Planning Inspectorate in June to state the case for the plan. West Berkshire's Downlands Planning Sub-Committee had initially rejected planning permission in October 2003, but the owner of Baydon Meadow, Matt Partridge, is now appealing against the decision. TV Energy has been championing the 1.3MWe scheme since its inception and you can read our letter of support here.

West Berks Blow Wind Power Away

On 1st October West Berkshire Council heavily rejected a proposal to build a wind turbine at a site near Baydon and adjacent to the M4. The move must be seen as a victory for local objectors and a blow to supporters wishing to see the Thames Valley and the South East become a little greener and provide a proportion of its own energy needs from non-polluting sources.

Councillors debated the need for such a turbine and agreed that the national and regional case for change was overwhelming. Also, that the need for change was an urgent one. Nevertheless, on a vote most members of the planning committee came out against with previous supporters abstaining. There were no votes for the scheme. Councillors at one stage cast around for reasons to reject the application. The Chairman concluded that the decision by the Council was 'finely balanced' however, he was minded to say that the application was 'too early' and that the Council 'could not support it'.

What then went wrong with this first try to get a single wind turbine in place in West Berkshire? The site chosen fits with National and Regional strategy. The need is clearly there.

Firstly, Councillors pointed to the need for more guidance from central and regional governance. There was a mood of defensiveness that pervaded the whole discussion (this also applied to planning officers). Secondly, the site is in an AONB (albeit adjacent to the M4) and the Council felt obligated to protect this first and foremost (and very effectively to push the decision away to this quango). Even though turbines are sited in other AONB's this was not really of material consideration here. The North Wessex Downs AONB are in the first throes of getting their management plan together which is currently anti renewables (apart from tokenistic very small scale activities). This draft plan was cited as the main cause for rejection. The visual impact being too great and the loss of tranquility etc. too much to stomach.

A second reason for rejection was on safety grounds for a local airfield. This is a red herring and the matter had previously been resolved. Nevertheless it was used by one stridently anti renewables Councillor to undermine the project in the early part of the debate.

Those speaking against included the local Chair of the CPRE who reiterated his dislike of wind turbines and saw them as pointless and an eye-sore. He majored on the need to protect the AONB at all costs. Local CPRE continue then with their pro-nuclear stance and renewables bashing (they also dislike wood fuel). Wiltshire/Kennet council also spoke against (the turbine is close to the border with Wiltshire) saying that many thousands of people would see the turbine and that this was not acceptable!

Friends of the Earth and TV Energy spoke for the project.

One glimmer of hope. The local Councillor who had previously been a supporter (and who was expected to be supportive on the night) said that the Council, once in possession of a 'capacity study' to be carried out through the offices of the AONB over the next 12 months or so, should seek to meet its obligation on renewables through inviting one much larger proposal. (Under questioning I had suggested that four turbines plus some bioenergy and solar would get West Berkshire to its 2010 target.)

For those interested in seeing the AONB draft strategy please go to www.northwessexdowns.org.uk. The anti wind policy is P5 "Wind turbines that threaten the tranquillity and remoteness of the North Wessex Downs". If you believe that this policy should be modified then e-mail info@northwessexdowns.org.uk.

Keith Richards.