The case against siting a wind farm at Winwick Warren is both manifest and compelling. Indeed so strong
are the arguments it's hard to understand why E.ON has even contemplated this particular location for promoting
a wind farm.

The case for the Winwick Warren Wind Farm is flimsy and arises out of the UK government's commitment to
climate change and green energy. Whilst as a macro policy towards climate change and green energy the
government may well be correct this does not obviate the need to look critically at the detailed implication
of any particular scheme.

Added to which there is a rapid movement across the world challenging the effectiveness of wind power.
Dieter Helm, Professor of Energy Policy at the University of Oxford, writing in The Times on 17 July 2009
said “It is immediately obvious that even if all the wind turbines the Government (and the Opposition) wants
are built, they will not even make a tiny dent in the carbon concentration in the atmosphere. In a few weeks,
China’s coal investments would swamp the savings.”

 Countries which are years in advance of the UK are now questioning whether wind power in itself even makes
sense. A few quotes will help illustrate the point:

 

·         Wall Street Journal 29th December 2008: "wind generation is the prime example of what can go wrong
when the government decides to pick winners. The idea that it can replace coal or natural gas in
electrical generation is a fantasy."

·         Der Spiegel: "Germany's CO2 emissions haven't been reduced by even a single gram despite
all their wind turbines. In fact Germany has had to build many more coal and gas fired plants."

·         Fleming Nissen, head of Denmark's largest energy utility: "Wind turbines do not reduce carbon
dioxide emissions."

·         Niels Gram Danish Federation of Industries: "Windmills are a mistake and economically make no sense."

 

·         Aase Madsen MP Danish Parliament and chair of energy policy: "For our industry it has been a
terribly expensive disaster."

 

Wind power has only dubious green credentials which are coming to be questioned more and more. It is not green
to scar the countryside with wind farms and it is directly contrary to the government's planning policy statement
PPS7 which deals with sustainable development in rural areas "... all development in rural areas should be well
designed and inclusive in keeping and scale with its location and sensitive to the character of the countryside
and local distinctiveness".

To quote from Northamptonshire's recently published Green Infrastructure Strategy on the subject of local
landscape designations "The Government recognises and accepts that there are areas of landscape outside
nationally designated areas that are particularly highly valued locally. The Government believes that carefully
drafted, criteria based policies in LDDs, utilising tools such as landscape character assessment, should provide
sufficient protection for these areas, without the need for rigid local designations that may unduly restrict
acceptable sustainable development and the economic activity that underpins the vitality of rural areas. In
response to this, Northamptonshire County Council has removed its local landscape designations comprising
Special Landscape Areas in recognition of the belief that all landscapes matter and not just those that are
particularly well known or evoke strong images. It will seek to protect the whole of the landscape resource
through application of a robust environmental character assessment framework and criteria based policies
and guidelines that respond to and reflect variations in the character of the landscape within the county."

The landscape environment matters and it is essential that unspoilt areas of landscape are protected for
future generations and not spoilt by short term political greenness. Whilst planning consents for wind farms
are for twenty five years and hence not permanent twenty five years is a very long time to scar the landscape.

So what are the detailed arguments against Winwick Warren Wind Farm (WWWF)?

 

1.  The Size of the Proposed Turbines

Most people have little concept of the size of the wind turbines. The turbines proposed are 80m metres high
and 126.5 metres high to the top of the sail. To get this in context:-

·         The Express Lift tower in Northampton is 127 metres high.

·         The largest oaks grow to 45 metres. The proposed wind turbines are nearly three times as high.

·         Nelson’s column in Trafalgar Square is 62 metres to the top. The proposed wind turbines are twice as tall.

·         Big Ben to the top of the spire (not just the tower) is 96 metres high.

 

·         Double-decker buses: it is the equivalent of putting 25 double-decker buses on top of one another.

·         Jumbo jets:  a jumbo jet wingspan is approx 64 metres, the length 70 metres. The diameter of the
proposed wind turbine rotors (sails) is around 93 metres.

 

2.  Is the Proposed Site of WWWF Special?

Yes it definitely is for several reasons :-

It forms part of the unspoilt west Northamptonshire uplands which to quote from the Northamptonshire
Current Landscape Character Strategy “is extensive undulating and productive rural landscape stretching across
the west of the County with a cohesive and recognisable unity of character despite scale and extent. This is the quintessential agricultural landscape of the Midlands with its broad sweeping undulating landform, rich and productive agricultural land contained by strong hedgerow enclosure, and a deeply rural character.” To which Northamptonshire County Council’s guidelines comment landscape guidelines comment: “ Conserve and enhance the cohesive and recognisable unity of character across the Undulating Hills and Valleys and ensure that the integrity of this quintessential rural agricultural landscape is not diminished through inappropriate development and loss of
characteristic combination of elements.”

Frankly it says it all. It is delightful unspoilt countryside which would be irreparably damaged were the proposal
for WWWF to be permitted. It would not only be to the detriment of the local villages of Winwick, West Haddon
and Cold Ashby but to all those using the Jurassic Way and other leisure and equestrian pursuits.

In addition the site for the proposed WWWF forms the backdrop to the small unspoilt village of Winwick and
the Grade 2* listed Winwick Manor and Grade 2* listed Winwick church, the setting of which would be
irreparably damaged by such a proposal.

Clearly there are parts of the country which do not have intrinsic landscape value and may be in areas that
have already been desecrated or partially desecrated by development. No way should this particular area
of northwest Northamptonshire be permitted to be developed. In particular as has already been mentioned
above it is quite clearly absolutely contrary to Northamptonshire’s Green Infrastructure and Environmental
Character policies.

 

3.  Adverse Health Consequences

It is only recently that I have become aware of some of the research and problems that have been associated
with Wind Turbine Syndrome. Basically the closer you are to the turbines, the more likely you are to be affected
and this is not necessarily by noise that you can hear but rather more by the low frequency sounds which are too
low for the ear to ear but nonetheless cause significant health problems. On the Reference Documents page
you will find amongst other wind farm materials the proof of evidence of Jane Davis and others given in relation
to an appeal against a wind farm application refusal in Cumbria. It is well worth reading as Jane Davis and
her family were significantly adversely affected with health problems notwithstanding that their property was
over 900 metres from a wind farm in Lincolnshire. To quote her:

  “We did not object to the wind farm in the planning stage as we did not believe that there would be
any issues for us and we believed that wind power was a good way of meeting the energy gap...With
hindsight it was a serious mistake to trust the developer to ensure that we would not be exposed to an
increase in noise levels in the way we have... Since June 2006 we have had constant issues with various
loud noises and low frequency sounds that create a hum in the house at all times, not merely when the
turbines are turning.”

 “We no longer have a mole problem. I attribute this to the fact that instead we seem to have a low
frequency noise problem.”

Obviously the proof of evidence is detailed and you should read it in full.

Secondly look at the work of Doctor Pierpont. She has spent the last five years researching wind turbine
syndrome and has written an authoritative book on the subject. If you spend 20 minutes on this website you
will fully understand why wind farms should not be permitted in anybody’s back yard (not nimbyism) and she recommends that there should be no turbines within two kilometres of anybody’s house.

It should be stressed Dr Pierpont has a wealth of qualifications. Her book Wind Turbine Syndrome has been
well-received by well qualified peers who have commented very favourably – i.e. she is not some cranky
person with a chip on her shoulder.

 

4.  Impact on the Historic Environment

Above I referred to the small village of Winwick and were the proposal to be permitted WWWF would tower
as a backdrop to the village in particular when viewed from the road between Winwick and Yelvertoft and the
road down to Winwick. The church tower would no longer be the dominant feature within the village and
Winwick Manor would be subsumed beneath the towering turbines, all of which would be a major adverse
impact on the landscape setting. The turbines would be visible from within the grounds of Winwick Manor
and also Winwick Hall, both of which are within a kilometre of the proposed site.

 

5.  Public Rights of Way

The Jurassic Way runs in close proximity to the proposed WWWF and a byway passes through the middle
of it. Need one say more?

6.   Ecological and Ornithological issues

Undoubtedly there will be a bio diverse environment and it is difficult to conceive given their plentiful
abundance at Winwick Manor that the following protected species will not also be within the site: various
species of bat, badgers, hares, great crested newts and grass snakes. The only comment I’d make is in fact
in relation to bats where it is well known that bats are hypersensitive and it is highly likely that even if they
are not roosting within the proposed WWWF site area that they will be adversely affected. All bats are
protected species and it is therefore highly likely that bats in Winwick Church and also at Winwick Manor
would be significantly adversely affected by the low frequency noise generated by the turbines.

 

7.  Horses

Horses are extremely sensitive animals and the byway bisecting the proposed site of WWWF would make
it impossible for riders to use the bridleway or indeed the byway from Winwick to White House farm, thereby
prejudicing equine activities.

Overall conclusion

The proposal is totally contrary to Northamptonshire’s Environmental Character and Green Infrastructure
policies and were it to be permitted not only would it be a disaster for the local environment and its landscape
but also drive a coach and horses through PPS7.

History will prove that save for large scale offshore wind farms wind power is a short-lived fantasy and a
very costly error which diverted attention from combatting the real issues relating to climate change.

John Temple

31 August 2009