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Wind turbines 'are too close' (From Oxford Mail)
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Wind turbines 'are too close'
12:00pm Sunday 7th February 2010
VILLAGERS have staged a series of stunts to highlight the impact of building a windfarm near their homes.
Campaigners from Ardley, Fewcott and Fritwell, near Bicester, used a blimp airship and a helicopter hovering over the site to show how the four proposed 125-metre high turbines could blight residents’ lives.
The stunts came after Chesterfield-based energy firm Bolsterstone forced a public inquiry over its plans to build the turbines at Willowbank Farm, just south of the M40, between Fewcott and Fritwell.
The appeal will be heard by a planning inspector on March 9.
Villagers were encouraged to take pictures of the helicopter to illustrate the impact of the turbines, and present them at the public inquiry, which will be held at Bodicote House, Banbury.
Residents have opposed the scheme over concerns about construction traffic, the impact on wildlife, interference to televisions, the size of turbines, and their proximity to homes.
Last April, Cherwell councillors unanimously voted against the plans to build a £10m windfarm on the site.
Ardley with Fewcott parish councillor Ian Corkin said: “The campaign is designed to highlight how imposing the structures would be.
“At 125 metres, they are the largest turbines ever proposed for an onshore site.
“There is no doubt that should they be built, these turbines will not only dominate the landscape for miles around, they will have a devastating impact on the area, blighting the lives of many hundreds of people.”
The blimp was flown above neighbouring Green Farm, close to the site of the planned turbines.
Mr Corkin said it was visible from the Banbury junction of the M40.
He added: “We could not get the blimp as close to the turbine site as we’d wanted as the police opposed it, saying it could distract motorway drivers. The irony of that was not lost.”
Andy Hunter, whose home and business at Green Farm would be just 450 metres from the turbines, said villagers were guinea pigs – and permission could open the floodgates for similar projects in other areas of countryside.
He added: “As an individual and businessman this is the biggest thing I have ever been up against in my life.”
Bolsterstone was unavailable for comment.
bicester@oxfordmail.co.uk
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Your Say YourOxford
EB, Oxford says...
1:58pm Sun 7 Feb 10
Please don't complain when the lights go out in a decade or so. It's a few turbines around the countryside, or a load of new nuclear power stations. Which do you prefer?
Wait, I already know the answer - whichever isn't visible from your kitchen window.
Honestly. You people make me sick.
The New Realist, Oxford says...
3:37pm Sun 7 Feb 10
LadyPenelope, West Oxon says...
3:49pm Sun 7 Feb 10
Phian, Witney says...
4:21pm Sun 7 Feb 10
The French appear to have done well with nuclear power, what problems have they had to overcome with this clean source of electricity ? I have heard little about their methods of disposing of the waste. The good bit for them is their lower dependence on foreign countries.
guinness lover, south oxford says...
4:25pm Sun 7 Feb 10
EB wrote:I hope you tree-huggers don't complain when there is no wind blowing and the lights go out, on a cold winters day. May-be you will all hug around a candle for your warmth and light, you could also boil a kettle on it for your cups of tea. We will still need full traditional power station capacity for the days with not enough wind to power tubines, around 70% of days by some experts.
NIMBYs - YOU DON'T OWN THE VIEW. Please don't complain when the lights go out in a decade or so. It's a few turbines around the countryside, or a load of new nuclear power stations. Which do you prefer? Wait, I already know the answer - whichever isn't visible from your kitchen window. Honestly. You people make me sick.
Mullarkian, York says...
4:56pm Sun 7 Feb 10
Nuclear is the only option and the sooner peole realise it the better.
EB, Oxford says...
5:42pm Sun 7 Feb 10
Yes there will always be a need for backup - a new nuclear station or two is OK.
Remember: when the govt say a new generation of nuclear stations will cost £xxxbn, they don't include the clean up cost which is another phenominal amount of money.
Wind turbines can be put up and taken down in a matter of days and minimal cost.
They're not a magic bullet but I'd rather see the UK covered in wind turbines than nuclear and coal stations.
Bicester retired, Bicester says...
5:46pm Sun 7 Feb 10
For those who are interested in the above article, just google the above title.
Andrew:Oxford, Oxford says...
6:16pm Sun 7 Feb 10
Green123, Witney says...
6:27pm Sun 7 Feb 10
Bicester retired, Bicester says...
6:38pm Sun 7 Feb 10
guinness lover, south oxford says...
6:48pm Sun 7 Feb 10
philg, Oxford says...
6:51pm Sun 7 Feb 10
EB wrote:Hilarious! Do you know anything about the engineering behind power generation and distribution?
Guinness lover: that's why most are being built out to sea, where there is consistant and high wind speeds. However the UK is a wind-rich land. You only need a light breeze to turn a turbine. Multiply that by many thousand and problem nearly solved.
Yes there will always be a need for backup - a new nuclear station or two is OK.
Remember: when the govt say a new generation of nuclear stations will cost £xxxbn, they don't include the clean up cost which is another phenominal amount of money.
Wind turbines can be put up and taken down in a matter of days and minimal cost.
They're not a magic bullet but I'd rather see the UK covered in wind turbines than nuclear and coal stations.
"There will always be a need for a backup" doesn't begin to cover it.
EB, Oxford says...
7:30pm Sun 7 Feb 10
Probably a lot more than you, trust me on that...
Remember that we have many gas, biowaste and nuclear stations with quite a few years operation ahead of them.
Another 5000MW of generation is coming on-stream very soon also.
Also, via external interconnects ("importing" in laymans terms) we get power from Norway and France - backing up the supply further.
More international interconnects are planned.
So, we need backup, but not as much as some people think. I listen to the professionals in the industry...not the politicians or the media.
Bicester retired, Bicester says...
8:03pm Sun 7 Feb 10
LadyPenelope, West Oxon says...
9:06pm Sun 7 Feb 10
Mullarkian wrote:Which is exactly why they do research and take wind speed readings before locating a site suitable for wind turbines. They may not be the most efficient power generators, but with technology changing, the efficiency is improving, and it's a step in the right direction.
Wind turbines are a complete waste of money. they are highly inefficient and only work when there is wind.
Nuclear is the only option and the sooner peole realise it the better.
Wind turbines are never going to replace other sources, but it's better than borrowing from other countries, and much quicker than building a nuclear power station.
Did you know that the energy from the waves of our own coast line would provide enough energy to power the UK several times over?
Brontegirl, asheville says...
7:26am Mon 8 Feb 10
LadyPenelope wrote:I must advise LadyPenelope to check out people who live in view of these structures. When the sun hit the fan blades, it causes "shadow flicker" that is like a strobe light going off and on outside your house. Also, forget sleeping with the windows open, unless you like the 24/7 noise they make. Also, check out the ice buildup on the blades, and how far it flings it once it slides off the blade. And if you like birds, oohh...don't let them fly towards the fan. Finally, check out pictures that show the real-life size of these things, I think you'll be shocked, I was, I had no idea all the cons to wind turbines. Fine for others, but if you live next door, your life is ruined, ruined, ruined I tell you.
I must be odd then, as I wouldn't object whatsoever to a wind turbine in view from my house. I think they're rather elegant!
Petre Mcvay, Barton says...
8:10am Mon 8 Feb 10
Bicester retired wrote:B. Retired. You should get out more if you think E Bs comment is offensive. I think he speaks for most of us. I bet you would make the same comment about a bunch of drunken yobs peeing in your front garden. It is not offensive, just an opinion. Now if he were to call you a miserable old g!t. That would be a different matter
EB-Oxford - everyone has the right to express one's own view in a democratic society, whether you agree or not. Also, this is exactly the purpose of 'have your say'. Do you realize that your comment 'you people make me sick' is quite offensive and is a deliberate personal attack rather than having your say on the topic discussed ? I think that no viewer of this website deserves this kind of abuse from you. I hope that you can behave yourself.
Bicester retired, Bicester says...
9:27am Mon 8 Feb 10
LadyPenelope, West Oxon says...
9:54am Mon 8 Feb 10
Regarding noise, then a wind farm at 350m away would give around 35 to 45db of noise, which is little more than background noise, so not really an issue.
Will look into the other factors.
Would still rather look over a wind farm than have a nuclear power plant on my doorstep!
Bicester retired, Bicester says...
10:16am Mon 8 Feb 10
net showing one wind turbine of a slightly smaller size as the one now proposed. Some say it is beautiful but I find it terrifying.
I totally agree with you that a wind farm is much better than a nuclear power plant on my doorstep. The problem is that having thousands more wind turbines does not mean that there will be no need to build a few more nuclear power plants in order to secure our future electricity supply. You can look up our current government's policy on this and you will know.
js3, Bicester says...
10:43am Mon 8 Feb 10
Put it up in my front garden if you want; bottom line is, it's clean and beautiful energy. Compare it to a huge coal power plant that's polluting, dirty, big and noisy.
Please stop being selfish and try to find solutions instead of opposing potential problems. How many of you have actually been that close a real turbine?!?! Really, hands up!
LadyPenelope, West Oxon says...
11:05am Mon 8 Feb 10
How about we get prisoners and those serving community service to generate our electricity by pedal power??
Isisbridge, Oxford says...
11:15am Mon 8 Feb 10
LadyPenelope wrote:You can't always assess noise nuisance by the number of decibels being produced. The TYPE of noise is also significant, and a continuous hum can be very distressing even when not particularly loud.
Brontegirl, I've seen wind turbines, so am well aware of the sheer size of them!
Regarding noise, then a wind farm at 350m away would give around 35 to 45db of noise, which is little more than background noise, so not really an issue.
Will look into the other factors.
Would still rather look over a wind farm than have a nuclear power plant on my doorstep!
And to js3 I would say that people are not being "selfish" when they complain about these things. Some people physically cannot cope with environmental stresses such as hums and flicker, which can trigger brain disorders like migraine and epilepsy.
And please don't anyone call me a NIMBY, because I don't live anywhere near this place and there are no plans to build anything in my backyard. But I do feel for the unfortunate people who have to suffer this type of nuisance and maybe even have to move because of it.
Oh, and whilst writing this, I am wearing a warm fleece to keep out the cold and not wasting energy with central heating.
Bicester retired, Bicester says...
11:17am Mon 8 Feb 10
Petre Mcvay, Barton says...
12:08pm Mon 8 Feb 10
Bicester retired wrote:To be honest mate I have been caught short on more than 1 occasion walking home from the pub and have had to use the neighbours front garden. But don't tell them hehe
Petre Mcvay - You compared the persons so called NIMBYs who try to express themselves in a democratic way to a bunch of drunken yobs peeing at your front garden and got the same conclusion. You are really a very very clever person. I hope that when you later comment on any issue happening around the place you live, you will not be treated as a drunken yob peeing at other's garden by other commentators.
Bicester retired, Bicester says...
12:39pm Mon 8 Feb 10
I care about the environment as much as most of you do. I have 2 compost boxes and 3 water collecting containers in my garden. I recycle more waste than discard as rubbish. Do you know how much energy is used to produce and install a wind turbine and what percentage of the total materials used can be recycled after its 25 years of service life? I don't mean wind turbines are no good at all but they should be built only when really considered as a workable solution or when technologies have advanced to make them economically viable.
Petre Mcvay, Barton says...
1:13pm Mon 8 Feb 10
LadyPenelope, West Oxon says...
2:25pm Mon 8 Feb 10
Bicester retired, Bicester says...
2:38pm Mon 8 Feb 10
I see honest exchange of different or conflicting opinions as an enjoyable experience. There is no win or lose as far as I am concerned. While I may not agree to the opinions of some commentators, I still respect them for letting their thoughts known.
Bicester retired, Bicester says...
3:25pm Mon 8 Feb 10
I have no solution either but I would rather spend a small fraction of the billions ( to be spent on wind turbines) on researches to enhance the current technologies and to speed up finding new technologies to efficiently use other energy resources, including solar, wave, earth thermal energy etc. Of course, this is a very difficult task but at least this is more economical and may help us make a breakthrough. Maybe you will agree with me that the proposal to spend billions to install more wind turbines to tackle future power shortage is doomed to fail while the government endlessly increases consumption by letting more immigrants to this country. With thousands more immigrants coming each year, how many wind turbines are required just to satisfy this additional need ?
LadyPenelope, West Oxon says...
3:35pm Mon 8 Feb 10
If not wind power, we do need something short term, that hopefully in the future can be developed into something more efficient. We can't go on borrowing power from the French forever!
Bicester retired, Bicester says...
3:55pm Mon 8 Feb 10
FenBeagle, Quadring says...
9:51pm Mon 8 Feb 10
You say 'It's a few turbines around the countryside, or a load of nuclear power stations. Which do you prefer?'
....how many, does 'a few' normally mean? 10 perhaps? Typically rated with a capacity of 2mw per Industrial turbine? 20mw then, at full operational wind speed? Usually around 30mph (near Gale speeds) With cut in speeds usually around 10mph to 12mph. Below which they are not operational, although still drawing power from the grid themselves. And shut down for safety reasons at High Wind Speeds, around 56mph. With a loading of somewhere around 29.5 (national average) probably less in Oxfordshire. Your ten Turbines will likely generate something around about 5mw of energy, unreliably.
Operational Nuclear power stations like Selafield are able to generate about 1,200 mw (at any windspeed) New generation Nuclear Power Stations could generate 3,000 to 4,000 plus mw.
You are comparing 'a few' turbines, which could maybe produce 5mw. To 'a load' of nuclear power stations producing many thousands of mw (depending on how many you mean, by 'a load') And threatening that the lights will 'go out' if we do not follow your advise?
Brontegirl, asheville says...
2:03am Tue 9 Feb 10
Petre Mcvay, Barton says...
2:45am Tue 9 Feb 10
Petre Mcvay - People constantly using NIMBYs as an explanation or excuse to try to accuse others seem to be lack of convincing arguments .
Bicester No you are wrong there. I say again. The people who campaign against mobile phone masts on the grounds that they are dangerous to their health, are the same people that give mobiles to their kids to stick right next to their heads, So their argument that sticking a mobile next to your head is not dangerous but a phone mast 100 ft up in the air is, doesn't hold water. And the term NIMBY in its most derogitory sense is applicable to them, I think the above is a convincing argument.
Bicester retired, Bicester says...
10:49am Tue 9 Feb 10
Pter mcvey, Barton says...
6:16pm Wed 10 Feb 10
Brontegirl, asheville says...
4:56am Thu 11 Feb 10
Ian Corkin, left, and farmer Andy Hunter with concerned villagers
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Bicester retired, Bicester says...
12:47pm Sun 7 Feb 10