Thank you to Gareth Butterfield of the Ashbourne News Telegraph for alerting us to this item. Although outside our immediate area it may be of interest to our readers and could have future implications for within the Park.
Yesterday the Planning Inspectorate over turned Derbyshire Dales District Council’s refusal of a commercial wind farm on Carsington Pastures overlooking Carsington Water. West Coast Energy now have the go ahead to build four large wind turbines. Details of the appeal can be seen at the District Council Website and the Planning Inspector’s decision can be see at their website (with a bit of searching).
It is perhaps surprising that this got the go ahead in such a conspicuous and archaeologically important site, though the Government is working to facilitate the planning process for alternative energy installations. Just outside the National Park’s boundary it is interesting to speculate how this will impact on the PDNPA’s reluctance to allow even small domestic wind turbines.
PARWICH.ORG 
NEWS RELEASE FROM THE PEAK DISTRICT NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY
PR 531 -23 September 2008
Wind farm proposal opposed by National Park planners
The Peak District National Park planning committee is strongly opposed to plans for a five-turbine wind farm just outside the national park boundary. The committee was making its recommendations to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, which is likely to consider the application for a wind farm on Sheephouse Heights, between Penistone and Stocksbridge, in early 2009.
The committee’s view, after a site visit, was that the five 125metre-high turbines would be a dominating visual intrusion, harming the Peak District landscape, spoiling people’s enjoyment and impacting on the rural economy. Anne Ashe, who chaired the committee, said:
The committee also expressed deep concern about the combined impact of other wind-farms in the area – 13 turbines at Royd Moor, three at Hazlehead, plus another five proposed for Spicer Hill and three for Blackstone Edge. The site of the latest proposal is 2.6 km outside the national park boundary, across the Stocksbridge Valley, but it is a continuation of the same Pennine landscape, known as the ‘backbone of England‘.
Earlier this month, a planning inspector approved a wind-farm at Carsington Pastures, near Ashbourne – which the National Park Authority also opposed because of the impact on the national park’s special qualities. But head of planning Bob Bryan advised:
To put the other point of view from the NIMBYs and BANANAs (Build absoluletly nothing anywhere near anything), I think modern wind turbines are majestic things of great beauty and enhance the landscape in many situations. I am sure this small development will have a much smaller impact on the local surroundings than the nearby resevoir drowning the valley and will play a small but vital part in preventing more of the global landscape disappearing under rising sea water levels, not to mention increasing reducing the nation’s reliance on increasingly expensive imported fossils fuels.
Colin, not heard of BANANA’s before. Can you come up with any more suitable acroynms, apples, oranges?
APPLES: Angry People Pursuing Law Enforcement Strategies?
I find wind turbines rather majestic and beautiful, as well. Why, they’re almost as attractive as television aerials… 😛
GRAPES – Gosh, Repress All Possible Environmental SNAFU’s. How’s that? – an embedded acronym within an acronym??? – Not bad eh?
Wind turbines – do they make any noise? I’m pretty sure TV aeriels don’t…..
It is a myth that wind turbines are noisy. Modern wind turbines are virtually inaudible unless you are standing right under them, when you hear a soft ‘swish’ as the blades pass. In windy conditions the sound of the wind in trees etc masks any noise made by the turbine.
Mike, As for their elegance in relation to TV aerials, it is certainly true that I would prefer your current aerial to a 125m turbine attached to you chimey pot. But what a about a few on Parwich Hill? (lights blue touch paper and retreats to a safe distance ……)
As for acronyms how about AERIAL – Almost Everyone Revolting In Aerial Lawlessness (Mike, I am only joking…..)
Colin, much as I dislike questioning the person who put up the 1,000th comment on PARWICH.ORG:
I have mixed feelings about wind turbines. I recognise they are necessary, but having regularly stayed with friends who have two about 1km from their house, with intervening woodland, I have had experience of them in a range of weather conditions and at different times of day. Although they are much quieter now than they were ten years ago, if the wind is in your direction the sound still carries a mile or so.
On the basis of sound I would not want to live with a couple of miles of commercial turbines, though my friends now feel they no longer notice theirs most of the time.
I have often admired them from a sculptural point of view when I have been travelling across Europe. Long distance they are beautiful, however up close in my back yard I am not so sure. i have also read some alarming articles about the large number of bats found dead around the base – without any sign of external injury. Weird huh?
Several other communities in the Peak District are exploring what they can do to make their energy consumption more sustainable (see our previous post on this topic https://parwich.org/2008/06/14/sustainability/).
Parwich School is looking at sustainability, as is the Memorial Hall Committee in relation to the new build plans; is there anything else we can do as a community?
WIND FARMS. Wow I’m not Daring For A Really Mad Smoosh.
Clever!
Anyone heard of the Wind Farm SYndrome?
– a psychological effect of the infrared vibrations