Wind Farms in Northumberland
Anthony Coon brings us up to date
Current proposals for wind farms have the potential to transform the appearance of Northumberland more radically and more pervasively than previous changes such as mining, urban development or forestry.
At present there are only three wind farms in Northumberland: at Blyth harbour, Blyth offshore, and Kirkheaton. The latter, with three 68-metre turbines, has a capacity of 1.8MW - which is one five-hundredth of the total capacity of the proposed wind farms.
We know of 30 proposals, put forward by about 15 private companies. A typical wind farm would have at least 10 masts, each 100 metres or more to the rotor tip, with connecting and access roads, control facilities and probably transmission lines. Based on industry 'energy yield' figures, the proposed wind farms would require an area of some 35 square miles.
National policy is to increase the proportion of energy from renewables (such as wind) to 10% by 2010, by grants and favourable prices for the electricity they generate, and by easing planning restrictions. Development plans must ‘encourage’ wind farms, though there is an assumption that national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty (AoNB) are out of bounds. The regional strategy identifies ‘areas of least constraint’: a strategic area at Kielder, and five medium areas. The latter are: south west of Berwick, at North and South Charlton (North of Alnwick), at Knowesgate and Harwood Forest (near Kirkwhelpington), the northern coalfield (north of Cramlington), and Kiln Pit Hill (South of Prudhoe). The boundaries (and the rationale) for these areas of least constraint remain matters of some dispute.
The map shows that the 30 proposed wind farm sites are widely distributed over the county. There are several in the Cramlington – Ashington area (mostly relatively small, and linked to industries), while most of the rest are located on higher (and windier) ground on the central spine of the county, though outside the national park and the AoNBs. Wind farms are proposed within, near to (and beyond) all the identified ‘medium areas of least constraint’. Development in the ‘strategic’ area of Kielder (where there appears to be scope for major wind farm development with comparatively little landscape harm) is opposed by the Ministry of Defence. The map also shows the location of the existing wind farms, and the four schemes that have been turned down in recent years.
Proposals usually come to public notice when the applicant prepares an
environmental statement. Eight of the proposals have reached the appeal
stage (see map). Of
these, four are in the Cramlington-Ashington area, and inquiry dates for
these have not yet been fixed. Public inquiries for the other four are
to take place very soon, as follows:
- The inquiry for Middlemoor (north of Alnwick) will start in the Northumberland Hall Alnwick on 13 November, for at least 2 weeks.
- A combined inquiry for Green Rigg, Steadings and Ray 1 (west of Kirkwhelpington) will start on 15 January 2008 at the Britannia airport hotel, for at least 6 weeks.
For the Society the problem lies not in the design of the turbines, but in their scale (about the size of a football pitch turned on its end, or the height of a 35 storey building), the ground area they occupy (about 2 square miles for each ‘farm’), and their visibility (distances up to 20 miles, each one affecting an area of many hundreds of square miles). The problem is compounded by the distracting movement of the blades and by the cumulative effects of large numbers of wind farms which could dominate wide swathes of the County, thereby creating, according to the Regional Assembly, a new landscape character area: the ‘wind farm landscape’. Even the iconic Simonside ridge – significant from much of south and east Northumberland – would have to compete with a nearby bank of twirling turbines at Ray/Green Rigg of similar length and altitude. These are the main factors which led to the Society objecting to the four schemes now coming to public inquiry.
There is a wide acceptance – shared no doubt by most members of the Society – that a solution to the energy crisis will demand unpleasant sacrifices. However, the harm caused by the proposed wind farms to landscape and cultural resources seems an unacceptable price to pay for a small contribution to solving the energy problem. Nevertheless, persuading a public inquiry that there could be far more lost than gained if any – or all – of these major schemes go ahead will not be easy in the face of well-resourced developers and government targets.
For more information and location of proposed wind farms visit our Windfarm Summary page . For information on the public inquiries see
• Middlemoor: www.public-inquiry.org
• Ray/Steadings/Green Rigg: www.persona.uk.com/tynedale