THE PROPOSAL
Ridge Clean Energy are planning to develop a renewable energy park, consisting of wind turbines, a solar array and battery energy storage system, on land to the south east of Oughterby and north of Wiggonby, Cumbria.
The project would be located on privately owned mixed arable and dairy farmland, approximately 10km west of Carlisle city centre, south of Oughterby and north of Wiggonby. The solar arrays would be situated on 24 hectares of farmland. Four wind turbines, each with a maximum tip height (when the blade is vertical) of 149.5 metres, just 8m short of the height of Blackpool Tower, would be situated on land to the south west of the solar arrays. The project could also host up to 20MW of BESS (Battery Energy Storage System).
The turbines would be the largest onshore wind turbines in Cumbria, and would tower 25m above even the offshore wind turbines of Robin Rigg in the Solway Firth. They would be more than twice the height of the turbines at Watchtree or Great Orton.
Once the renewable energy park is operating, it is expected that funding will be made available to the local community to help fund community initiatives. The community benefit fund would include an annual contribution towards energy bills to all homes within 2.5km from the wind turbines. This would include homes in Kirkbampton, Thurstonfield, Oughterby, Aikton, Thornby and Wiggonby. The proposed tiers of contribution: 0- 1 km from turbine locations - £500 per year, 1 - 2 km - £250 per year, 2 - 2.5 km - £ 100 per year. The boundary of the three contribution tiers has been outlined on the map on page 3 of the poster pack.
Ridge Clean Energy are currently undertaking technical site assessments and surveys, the results of which will help inform the final site design and be reported as part of a planning application submission to Allerdale Borough Council. On the 2nd and 3rd of August 2022, they held two public exhibitions - one at Aikton Parish Council Rooms and the other at Kirkbampton Village Hall. The posters on display at these events can be downloaded below.
An application for a scoping opinion has been lodged with Allerdale Borough Council, with application reference SCO/2022/0001. The plan is to submit a full Planning Application to the council in Autumn 2022. It may be the case that the application is decided not by Allerdale Borough Council but by Cumberland Council, which takes over on 1st April 2023.
THE PLANNING APPLICATION
Planners can only take into account matters which directly relate to planning, not issues such as land or property value, etc.
You should use the Allerdale Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework to craft your responses, highlighting where the application would not comply.
There is also a Wind Energy Supplementary Planning Document which has been adopted by Allerdale Borough Council.
Except for applications for the repowering of existing wind turbines, a proposed wind energy development involving one or more turbines should not be considered acceptable unless it is in an area identified as suitable for wind energy development in the development plan; and, following consultation, it can be demonstrated that the planning impacts identified by the affected local community have been fully addressed and the proposal has their backing.
Footnote 54, National Planning Policy Framework
Not all areas located within the Area Suitable for Wind Energy Development are suitable for wind energy development. Proposals will only be supported, within the Area, where it can be demonstrated that the planning impacts identified by affected communities have been fully addressed together with compliance with this policy, Policy S19, and other relevant Local Plan policies.
Para. 119, Policy SA50, Allerdale Borough Council Local Plan Part 2
Policy SA50 is clear that an application will not be supported by the planning authority unless evidence can be provided by the applicant showing that the "planning impacts identified by affected communities following a public consultation have been fully addressed and the proposal has their backing".
Policy S19 is clear that proposals will only be seen positively where:
- There are no unacceptably adverse impacts on the amenity of local residents, including from noise and shadow flicker;
- Where there are no significant adverse visual impact or impact on the character character and sensitivity of the surrounding landscape;
- Where there are no unacceptably adverse impact on heritage assets and their settings;
- If it can be demonstrated that the development would not result in a significant adverse effect (either in isolation or cumulatively) on protected bird species, including designated sites and migration routes; and
- Where appropriate operational requirements are addressed (including accessibility and suitability of road network
In order to address community concerns and in the interests of residential amenity and safety, a minimum separation distance of 800m between wind turbines (over 25m to blade tip) and residential properties will be expected.
Para. 225, Policy S19, Allerdale Borough Council Local Plan Part 1
Policy S32 is clear that proposals will not be supported where they would result in a detrimental effect on the local area in terms of visual amenity, distinctive character or environmental quality; where they would generate severe highway infrastructure or network problems in relation to access, road safety, traffic flow or car parking; or where they would cause significant adverse environmental impact in relation to landscape, biodiversity or geodiversity.
THE SURVEY
I have created the survey below to gauge levels of local support or opposition to the proposals. I am keen to know which bits, if any, of the proposals you support; to hear about the impacts on you and your family; and to pass to the planning authority your comments which relate directly to planning matters as set out above. You can use google maps to measure the distance from your property to the turbine.
Comments made at question 6 on the survey will be passed to the planning authority on your behalf. You are also advised to make comments directly to [email protected].