Campaign to Protect Rural England : Approach to Wind Energy

Campaign to Protect Rural England : Approach to wind energy

Bettina Lange

Branch Development and Campaigns Officer

East Midlands

Please refer to the 2009 national CPRE Policy Position Statement ‘Onshore Wind Turbines’ included in your delegate packs. The statement mentions Annex 1 of a campaign briefing on renewable energy. This consists of examples of damaging and acceptable wind energy schemes, and points it is recommended CPRE local county branches take into account when considering how to respond to proposed wind energy schemes or plans. CPRE is a democratic membership organisation and as such does not prescribe to its local groups what position they should adopt in their area. However, CPRE develops national policy positions as a framework. The 2009 position on onshore wind was developed in a participative manner across CPRE and has been re-endorsed repeatedly since.

CPRE recommends that local county branches take the following criteria into account when responding to wind energy schemes or plans :

• Has an adequate site selection process been carried out ? Are there less damaging alternative sites, including on previously developed land ?

• What is the impact of the shape, colour of the turbines, height of tower, size and movement of the blades ?

• What is the impact of the site layout in relation to topography, countryside character and vantage points for the general public and countryside user groups ?

• What is the distance over which the turbines are likely to be visible or potentially intrusive ?

• What is the potential cumulative effect in relation to existing or permitted turbines ?

• What is the potential impact of the noise generated by the turbines and transmitters ?

• What effect will the flicker caused by the rotating blades of the turbine have ?

• What effect will new or widened access to the turbines and transmitters have on the landscape and tranquillity ?

• Has an Environmental Impact Assessment been conducted ?

• Are photographs submitted with the application and/or EIA clear, undistorted and free from detractors; are viewpoint locations adequate and representative; are turbines shown clearly and accurately in terms of size ?

• What will be the actual generating capacity of the proposed development ?

Wind energy is a policy area which benefits from an inclusive, carefully structured process of decision-making. Such a process of deliberation was developed by Land Use Consultants and GHK for the EMDA-commissioned Sustainable Economic Growth within Environmental Limits Study completed in November 2010. The ‘Limitville’ case study (a role play which Bettina Langetook part in) was particularly successful as an example of ‘good planning’. CPRE would recommend this approach as an option for future CPD events.