Nocton Fen Wind Farm - landscape

Landscape & Visual

The 'Preliminary Environmental Information' (PEI) is a large piece of work by any standard and it takes a long time to work through it. To view the separate parts of the report online click here.

Small detail matters... well it does to me anyway

I have just finished reading Chapter 6 - 'Landscape and Visual' and would like to make a few early observations:

1)  The following statement from the National Character Area profile describes Nocton Fen perfectly: (Para 6.3.14: Landscape & Visual)

"The level horizons and the huge scale of the landscape create a strong sense of isolation and tranquility, and a distinctive sense of place. There are, typically, large open panoramas and enormous skies, whose changing weather patterns have a strong influence on the observer."

Nocton Fen

N.B. to make a comparison with the current landscape on Nocton Fen, you may wish to see the projected images of the wind turbines at Wasp's Nest by selecting Viewpoint 5 Fig. 6.30a-f.

2)  The report refers to the settlements that lie in closest proximity to the site of the proposed wind farm. The 'closest settlements' (Para 6.3.80), based on distance from the site are: Bardney (1.6km); Potterhanworth Booths (1.7km); Sots Hole (2.1km) and Southrey (2.4km).

3)  I am intrigued as to why the report excludes Nocton and Potterhanworth (both 2.5km) from the 'closest settlements' category.

4)  The report incorporates both Nocton and Potterhanworth under the description of  'spring-line villages' (Para 6.3.81), differentiating them from 'closest settlements'. It seems 0.1km can make all the difference to a description.

5)  Also what about Wasp's Nest - surely this is a settlement too and one that really couldn't be any closer to the development!

6)  May I also recommend you look at Table 6.22 (page 6-148). This is very pertinent to our village of Nocton and makes for interesting reading. You should also read Para's 6.6.314 - 6.6.325 for the potential impacts.

7)  The paragraphs relating to Nocton don't appear to mention All Saints Church (Para 6.6.555) as Grade II* Listed... however do mention that Nocton Hall is Grade II Listed (Para 6.6.314). Why... as both are important buildings relating to our village's cultural history... with All Saints Church actually having the greatest national significance of the two!

8)  It is imperative that any heritage buildings affected by the construction and operation of the wind farm are properly highlighted in the report. It is simply insufficient to refer to 'the Church spire' without first mentioning All Saints Church as having significant cultural and heritage importance.

9)  The view of the church/village from the B1188, and as one travels down the B1202, will be dominated by the vision of the wind turbines from Nocton Fen towering over the trees - see 'Viewpoint 14 - B1188 towards Nocton'. I think it will completely destroy the picturesque image of Nocton, with the pantile roofed properties and Grade II* Listed church spire nestling in the 'lower lying and wooded setting'.

10)  If these small, but rather important details are missing from the PEI entry for our village, it makes one wonder what else is omitted from the report.

Scotland National Heritage

The PEI report has many references to Scottish National Heritage (e.g. Para 6.3.108). So perhaps it is important to look at the reported success of Scotland's wind energy development in a bit more detail... only to discover that not everything is as rosy as it first appears.

Wind power in Scotland

'Wind power is Scotland's fastest growing renewable energy technology.'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_Scotland

Figures 'prove Scotland has enough wind farms already'

Wind farms in Scotland generated the equivalent of 98 per cent of that country's electricity needs last year, as it emerges power companies were paid more than £53 million to switch off their turbines in 2014.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/energy/windpower/11322398/Figures-prove-Scotland-has-enough-wind-farms-already.html

Rural Scotland has had enough of wind farms

'Subsidies for new wind farms should be scrapped as rural parts of the country have "had enough" of developments, the Scottish Conservatives have said.'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-33121557

Wind farm footprint maps

"The Scottish Government is considering how to respond to calls for more transparency and accuracy in wind farm mapping in Scotland... the map does not show the 'visibility' footprint of the wind farms, it shows the physical footprint only".

http://www.snh.gov.uk/planning-and-development/renewable-energy/research-data-and-trends/trendsandstats/windfarm-footprint-maps/

Now that's an idea worth pursuing

The idea of having a Wind Farm 'visibility footprint' map as part of the cumulative assessment of all wind farms in a particular area e.g. Lincolnshire, seems like an excellent one to me.

Perhaps such a map should be demanded as part of Vattenfall's formal planning application to show the significance of the cumulative effect of wind farms currently operating or planned?

I would also like to see photomontages of the various Viewpoints to take account of seasonal change, especially when there are no leaves on the trees and hedges. This may have a material effect on the Magnitude of Change analysis.

Beware of the hype

Greenwash 2009

"Swedish energy giant Vattenfall was the overall winner, with 39 per cent of votes, at the ceremony in Copenhagen in advance of the World Business Summit on Climate Change. It was nominated for ‘its mastery of spin on climate change, portraying itself as a climate champion while lobbying to continue business as usual, using coal, nuclear power and pseudo-solutions such as agrofuels and carbon capture and storage.’"

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/271696/vattenfall_shell_win_climate_greenwash_09.html

Greenwashing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing

Vattenfall's Risky Business

'The Swedish state-owned energy utility Vattenfall and its owner are currently examining strategy options to address its own ambitious sustainability targets as well as the low-carbon objectives of the Swedish government.'

http://www.greenpeace.de/files/publications/vattenfall_risky_business_23092014.pdf

Examples of Terminology from the Preliminary Environmental Information

'... experienced professional judgement' (Para 6.2.22).

'Judgements on the nature of effect are based on professional experience and reasoned opinion informed by best practice guidance.' (Para 6.2.31).

I would like to know the people/organisations who have made: '... experienced professional judgement' to make 'reasoned opinions' - are they from Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure UK Ltd, Vattenfall Wind Power Ltd... or somewhere else altogether - perhaps these should be fully referenced so we can see their credentials?

Last... but not least

UK National Grid status

Thanks to Simon Corbitt for the link.

Global Wind Day Power Failure

'Yesterday was Global Wind Day, a worldwide event organised by the European Wind Energy Association and the Global Wind Energy Council...'

http://order-order.com/2015/06/16/global-wind-day-power-failure/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+guidofawkes+%28Guy+Fawkes%27+blog+of+parliamentary+plots%2C+rumours+and+conspiracy%29#_@/P503wXP80G6dXg

UK Wind Farms - Efficient or Expensive?

'A report into the usage of wind farms to generate electricity, and whether more money is spent on them than can be justified, considering the low energy output of some of the wind farms in Britain.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nztniFcSKgg

Updated Glossary

Please find enclosed - hope it helps with your background reading.