JPA Brayton application rejected (UPDATED)
UPDATE 14/01/2011
An appeal against the recent decision by Allerdale District to reject the JPA Brayton application has now been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.
With 80% of wind energy project appeals being successful we are naturally very hopeful that the project can proceed.
Citing effects on tourism, the application for a mid-size wind turbine was recently rejected by the Allerdale Planning Committee in Cumbria. This despite a recommendation to pass by the planning officer responsible.
Naturally we are disappointed the councillors chose to ignore the advice of the planning officer and give in to the handful of local objectors, however the application will now go to appeal - where 80 to 90% of wind turbine applications are successful.
On purely technical grounds the application is sound and we are confident the Government Inspectorate will concur.
Ironically, on the very subject of tourism, at a recent public enquiry in Cumbria a Government Inspector concluded:
“Concerns have been expressed about the possible impact of the turbines on tourism; but, despite the construction of wind farms in various parts of the country, there is no cogent evidence to show a resulting reduction in visitor numbers. Indeed, Cornwall and Cumbria have the largest concentration of wind farms of any of the counties in England, yet, in both cases, the numbers of visitors attracted have increased since the turbines were erected …… It should also be noted that some respondents to the survey undertaken for the Cumbria Tourist Board considered that the wind farm would be an additional attraction.”
Richard Branson warns on peak oil
BBC Radio's Today programme today featured a report from ITPOES (the UK Industry Taskforce on Peak Oil and Energy Security) that includes the Virgin Group of companies:
The serious issues highlighted by the Gulf of Mexico spill serve to underline the vulnerable state of future oil supplies. The UK needs to prepare for an era of expensive oil, and this means we must step-up our commitment to reducing dependence on oil.
University Course Fees Hiked to £6000
In a policy that can only be described as temporary insanity, the Government has announced Universtity tuition fees are to increase to £6,000 a year with an upper limit of £9,000... but only for the poor unfortunates who live in England.Read more
Castle Farm Congratulations from Tory MP
In a letter from Maidstone Conservative MP Helen Grant, owner Peter Checkley is congratulated for his efforts to reduce carbon emissions through the proposal to install a mid-sized wind turbine on the farm.
The letter goes on to say:
I believe that wind power, if harnessed properly, can help to tackle climate change and create thousands of jobs.
We totally agree! The UK currently has no indigenous mid-size wind turbine manufacturers and this is something we want to change. We are working hard to put our own turbine, the DWP24 back into full production - combining the dual needs for manufacturing jobs and clean energy.
Feed In Tariffs left unchanged by CSR
After much speculation that the Coalition government would slash the feed-in tariff set by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Chancellor George Osborne today announced there would be no immediate unplanned cuts:Read more
Plans for Severn River Barrier Axed
It came as no surprise to many commentators that the Severn River tidal scheme was axed today - just 3 days before the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Instead the Coalition Government plans to initiate another batch of nuclear power stations and to further promote renewables.Read more
What's the other driving factor behind renewables?
Sure, we all get the need to reduce CO2 emissions as a necessary part of trying to head off runaway climate change. Of course, some do not believe it and of those that do many are not prepared to make meaningful changes in their lives.
So, what's the other reason.. possibly much more immediate and less spoken about?Read more
Wind power objectors will use all means - fair or foul
Some residents near to one of our community schemes apparently felt they were being almost press-ganged into signing a petition objecting to the project going ahead. Read more
Castle Farm Gains Support from the Green Party
This week the Maidstone branch of the Green Party have came out in support of the Castle Farm Community Turbine.
Stuart Jeffery, Maidstone Green Party: "We welcome this application, this type of locally owned renewable power generation is exactly what we should be doing across the country.
"The country is facing an energy crisis and while the government continues to back damaging and unsustainable fossil fuel sources, it is great to see ideas such as the Castle Farm turbine being proposed. Dist Gen and Castle Farm should be congratulated for their forward thinking."
Finally, proof that we are not alone.
After years of searching scientists have, they say, now discovered an exo-planet around the star Gliese 581 that has the right size and orbit to have both an atmosphere and liquid water.
Having found this one potentially life supporting planet, its probable that the floodgates will open to reveal many more. Its not too much of a stretch to imagine at least simple life forms being common place throughout the galaxy.
The bad news is that Gliese 581 is 20 light years away - so once we're done messing up our own planet there isnt much hope for starting on this one.