On Tuesday 17th May Robert Gosling of Hill Top Farm organised an open exhibition regarding his proposals for a wind turbine to be located at his farm. He originally sent a letter into Parwich.org explaining the reasoning behind this plan.
This post is the reply from Robert Gosling to questions raised on Parwich.org and also to questionnaire responses.
1. Can we see the other photomontage locations?
We used a selection which gave a representative view. All
photomontages are below with the map showing the relative
positions.
All photos in this section can be enlarged by clicking on them.
Map showing the location of the photomontages.
2. Can we see a close up of the turbine?
The turbine being considered is made by Vergnet.
A selection of photos of a turbine sited in France are attached.
3. Would Mr. Gosling give electricity not used on the farm to the village?
The turbine would be connected to the national grid. It is not technically
possible to feed electricity from this turbine directly into the village.
4. Community renewable project
Due to the amount of interest in this issue I have approached John Youatt
of Sustainable Youlgreave about attending a meeting to talk about his
experience regarding renewables in the widest sense, as an ex Peak District
National Park planner/member of Derby’s Dales Green Party, and a
planning consultant for Sustainable Youlgreave. This particular organisation
has successfully supported hydro, wind, solar and anaerobic digestion
projects to date in the local area at individual business and community
level.
I have arranged this open Meeting for 12th July in the Memorial Hall
at 7.30pm.
5. Can we have a mobile phone mast on top of the turbine to improve
network coverage?
We think that for technical reasons it is not possible to do this. However if it
is possible, and would be supported by the village then I would be happy
to consider it as a separate issue once the turbine has gained planning
approval.
6. Will we be able to hear the turbine in the village ?
A noise consultant has been appointed and the Noise Report will be
posted on Parwich.org. as soon as it is available.
7. Is some outside company backing this proposal financially with the
objective of getting other approvals in the PDNP?
No, we are taking all the risk ourselves.
8. Would an AD plant be less intrusive?
The issue of visual impact is subjective however we have ruled out AD
completely because most of the cattle are outside for about 6 months in
the summer and it is not feasible to collect their waste through the summer
months. Also the AD may need additional material to be brought in from
off site (i.e. food stuffs and organic waste) and the local road network
would not cope well with large waste delivery vehicles visiting the farm on
a frequent basis.
9. Mud on road
Once erected the proposal will require access only a few times a year for
essential maintenance and this will not lead to mud on the road.
Some residents are concerned about mud on the road from the existing
farm operation. Whilst this is not relevant to the planning application I
do wish it to be understood that I and my staff try our best to minimise
this as far as possible. We will continue to do so.
10. Tree planting
Following the exhibition when this was raised by a number of residents we
are working on a landscaping plan which will probably form part of the
planning application documents. I will aim to post a copy of this plan on
this website just before the application is submitted so that local residents
can make suggestions regarding any amendments to the plan.
11. Do the electricity usage figures add up?
Yes. The turbine is of the minimum size necessary to be able to generate
enough electricity to meet the demand at peak times during the day i.e.
morning and evening milking accounting for around 8 hours. Outside
these hours the electricity would to all intents and purposes be fed directl
into the national grid.
12. Is the location suitable?
It is the best location on the farm in order to:
a. capture good wind speeds
b. avoid turbulence from farm buildings
c. avoid noise disturbance to the village
d. avoid being too close to mature trees and their wildlife
e. minimise insofar as possible landscape impact and to allow for
maximum local landscape improvements
Questionnaire Results
Hill Top Farm Wind Turbine Proposal Village Hall Exhibition 17th May 2011
1. Which of the following statements best reflects your views on climate
change?
I think it is something we need to take action about now – 86%
I don’t believe that climate change is a big concern – 6%
I think it the Government’s responsibility – 2%
I don’t have any view on this – 6%
2. Do you understand the need for the proposed wind turbine on Hill Top
Farm?
Yes – 93% No – 0% Not sure yet – 7%
3. Do you think that it might affect you?
Yes – 4% No – 87% Not sure yet – 9%
4. Do you think that wind turbines and other sustainable energy projects
should be undertaken in the Peak District National Park?
Yes – 98% No – 2% Not sure yet – 0%
5. Are you likely to object to the proposed wind turbine at Hill Top Farm, be
likely to support it, not sure or do you not have any view?
Support – 81% Object – 0% Not sure yet – 19% No View – 0%
6. Are you interested in installing your own renewable energy technology or
learning more about the possibilities of a community based renewable
energy projects?
Yes – 67% No – 21% Not sure yet – 12%
PARWICH.ORG 
With regards to Mr Goslings comment to 9. ‘Mud on the road’ I do not entirely agree that this issue is not relevant to the planning application for the following reasons.
1. Mr Gosling has gone to great lengths, in support of his proposed planning application for the wind turbine, to try to demonstrate that environmental issues in general are something he cares about very much. This does not sit comfortably with the fact that there has been numerous complaints from several different sources over the years about the filthy condition the lane has been in outside Hill Top Farm and the fact that the verges (formally grass verges, now mud track verges, particularly in the winter) have been used by Mr Gosling and his staff for off road parking for heavy farm machinery over a long period of time.
2. It is not unreasonable to assume in view of the above, that Mr Gosling (and his staff) may show a similar disregard for any inconvenience caused to people living in the area, should the planning for the wind turbine be passed and any unforeseen issues arise. In view of this, I find his response to 9. unacceptably dismissive and also, a matter of concern that the filthy condition of the lane in the winter (according to mr Goslings response to 9. demonstrates Mr Gosling’s (and his staff’s) best efforts to minimise mud and muck on the lane.
The results of this survey make for interesting reading – particularly Question 5, which reveals that although 19% of respondents have yet to make up their mind, nobody has registered a clear objection to the proposal. Although I am also broadly in favour of the proposal, I was certainly expecting a lot more controversy around the idea, so it’s reassuring to find such a high level of overall agreement.
In terms of visual impact, I have no objection whatsoever to the siting of the proposed turbine. I’m one of those people who finds them rather beautful, as long as they are sensitively sited in relation to the surrounding landscape. Just as previous generations had to come to terms with the arrival of pylons and telegraph poles, so I think that future generations will probably come to accept wind turbines as commonplace.
In terms of noise impact, it does seem unlikely that this will affect local householders – but nevertheless, I look forward to reading the results of the noise report, as I would still like to feel more reassured on this score. The way that we perceive noise isn’t altogether rational – for instance, we barely notice traffic noises, but the low-level tish-tish-tish of a leaky pair of headphones on a personal stereo can drive many of us barmy. So if it’s possible that even an intermittent low-level whirring might potentially cause aggravation to some, then I think that more information is still required.
That said… while we were on holiday in Cornwall a couple of weeks ago, we drove past a wind turbine of a similar size, and stopped the car on a quiet country lane – roughly 150-200 metres away – to see whether we could hear any noise. On this occasion, there was absolutely no noise whatsoever. We then spotted a local resident (not the turbine owner)about to enter his property – again, the same distance away from the turbine – and we asked him whether the noise levels affected him. He replied that although there was sometimes some audible whirring, it wasn’t loud enough to cause any aggravation, and that he was strongly in favour of the device. (He added that there was sometimes some extra “clanking”, which signified that the machine was in need of maintenance.)
Some people have questioned Mr Gosling’s commitment to environmental concerns, citing the state of the road outside his farm. Although I would also love it if the road could be better maintained, I don’t find this a particularly relevant point. Even if Mr Gosling’s sole motives are to reduce his energy costs and to bring in some extra income, I think that, as a landowner, he is wholly enititled to use his assets for profitable purposes, in whatever way he sees fit, provided this doesn’t impact negatively on the rest of us. However, with the reported “clanking” in mind, it would be good to have some reassurances on how the device will be maintained, once it has been installed.
I also think that Mr Gosling deserves full credit for the way he has approached this issue, by making all of this information available in a transparent and accessible manner, and by both solicting our opinions and responding to them.
Many complex and really important issues here which will affect everyone in Parwich. Whilst I agree that Mr Gosling can only ask for opinions, I wonder what percentage of the local population actually responded?
The one key issue which concerns me is the issue of low level chronic mechanical noise which can be a total blight on an area. Low level, low frequency noise of a few tens of Hertz likely from such a mechanism – even if it properly maintained, will be transmitted both through the ground and the air, and have a variable impact depending on wind direction. It will be most apparent in the early hours and my past experience of this type of noise makes me particularly sensitive to any suggestion that we consider having the turbine sited so close to the village.
Mike’s point about the road is an interesting one, as I feel that future maintenance of the turbine would be critical to avoid exacerbating the noise issue, and my own perception is that little appears to be done to maintain the road and local environment. There are times when the road is totally impassable on foot – unlike any other farm I am aware of locally – to consider that past maintenance performance as an indication of future performance is I feel highly relevant to the application.
Whilst I am very happy for Mr Gosling to make as much financial gain as he can from legitimate business investment, I do not want it to be at the cost of my sleep. As a physicist, I am fully aware that it is impossible to gauge the real impact of the noise pollution created, and when the system is installed and running – it’s too late.