Support Biggleswade Wind Farm
16 Wind Turbines are proposed between the
A1 and the East Coast Mainline railway,
south of Biggleswade.
These will power 18,000 homes and save
approximately 36,800 tonnes of CO2 per
year.
The Co-Operative Group are building the
wind farm and they will pay £2,500 per
annum per turbine to the local parish
councils
They will also pay significant rent to Central
Bedfordshire Council. According to Partnerships for Renewables, which is
funded by the Carbon Trust (from the government), £20,000 rent is paid per
annum per turbine to the landowner. Much of this land is owned by Central
Bedfordshire Council so this rent will really help all of us as well as helping to
conserve our environment.
The RSPB support this application.
MYTHS VERSUS FACTS about wind farms.
Building a wind turbine uses more energy than it ever
makes – FALSE.
The average wind farm in the UK will pay back the energy
used in its manufacture within
6 – 8 months.
Wind power is expensive – FALSE.
Wind power is not expensive. It is one of the cheapest
renewable energy sources and compares well with
conventional fuel. An average cost for a new onshore wind
farm is 3-4 pence per unit which is competitive with new coal
(2.5-4.5p/u) and cheaper than new nuclear (4-7p/u). Offshore wind is around 5.5p.u.
80% of the UK’s electricity still comes from fossil fuels which are mostly imported. When
fossil fuels are burned to produce electricity, over half their energy is lost in waste. One
modern 2.5MW turbine will generate 6.5 million units of electricity every year, enough to
meet the annual needs of 1,400 households, make 230 million cups of tea or run a
computer for 2,250 years.
www.southbedsfoe.co.uk
or ring Victoria Harvey, coordinator
SouthBedsFoE on 07815817108, email vharvey@btopenworld.com
The proposed site at Biggleswade isn’t windy enough for a wind farm – FALSE.
The average wind speed at Biggleswade is around 15mph and is similar to other parts of
the Eastern region where wind farms are already operating successfully. Modern wind
turbines start generating electricity at a wind speed of approximately 9mph. As wind
speed increases so does electrical output. When the wind doubles in speed, the energy
increases by 8 times. At storm force 55mph turbines are designed to cut out and wait for
the wind to drop as it’s not worth building them stronger for these rare conditions.
The UK is not windy enough – FALSE.
In fact the UK is the windiest country in Europe. We could power our country several
times over using wind. The UK database NOABL gives the possible wind speeds down to
each square kilometre throughout the country. Wind speeds throughout England are
better than, or comparable with, those of Germany where there is 7 times the amount of
wind power installed.
It’s windier in Scotland so we should build all of the wind farms there - FALSE.
The wind is stronger further north, say in Scotland, but that’s not where we’re consuming
the electricity. It would have to travel hundreds of miles over pylon lines.
Wind farms should be built offshore so they don’t ruin the landscape – FALSE.
Offshore wind farms cost up to 50% more than the ones onshore due to increased cost of
foundations, transmission lines, maintenance access, risk, etc. Onshore wind farms are
currently the cheapest and most effective option.
Wind farms kill birds - FALSE.
The RSPB stated in its 2004 information leaflet Wind Farms and
Birds: “In the UK we have not so far witnessed any major
adverse effects on birds associated with wind farms.” Any
application for a proposed site must be subject to intense
scrutiny from the RSPB and other environmental protection
agencies. Biggleswade has the support of the RSPB.
Wind farms are noisy - FALSE.
A Scottish Executive survey showed that 12% of people near wind farms
studied had concerns about noise prior to the development while only 1%
thought wind farms noisy after installation. All wind farms are covered by the
limits in the national Planning Policy Statement PPS22. These limits are
very low compared to other types of development, e.g. new road schemes that can
produce up to 8 times the noise of wind farms. (BWEA’s fact section on Noise from Wind Turbines
– information taken from The Scottish Office, Environment Department, Planning Advice Note)
Source/Activity Indicative Noise level dB
Threshold of hearing
0
Rural night-time background noise
20-40
Quiet bedroom
35
Wind farm at 350m
35-45
Car at 40mph at 100m
55
Busy general office
60
Truck at 30mph at 100m
65
(www.southbedsfoe.co.uk or ring Victoria Harvey, coordinator South Beds
FoE on 01525 385 097, 07815 817 108, email vharvey@btopenworld.com
Wind farms are a health hazard - FALSE. BERR (formerly DTI) say that “wind
generation produces no emissions, harmful pollutants or waste products. In 25
years of wind generation, with 68,000 turbines now worldwide, there are no
significant reports of health issues.” As regards the Nina Pierpoint ‘wind turbine
syndrome’ the NHS reviewed this work and concluded: “This study provides no
conclusive evidence that wind turbines have an effect on health or are causing the
set of symptoms described here as ‘Wind Turbine Syndrome’. The study design was
weak, the study was small and there was no comparison group.”
“I can state quite categorically that there is no significant infrasound from current designs
of wind farms” – from the Defra Report on Low Frequency Noise and its effects 2003
Wind farms bring down house prices – FALSE.
A study by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RCIS) suggests that wind farm
development can reduce property values to some extent. However, prices begin to
recover after wind farms have been up and running for two years. 40% of the survey
group reported no impact on prices of residential properties whatsoever from wind farm
development.
There are currently 171 wind farms in the UK with enough green electricity (2429
MW) capacity to power 1.3 million homes.
We have to reduce CO2 emissions by 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 if we are to
avoid catastrophic climate change.
Please write in and send your letter of support to
Mr David Lamb
Development Management (North)
Central Bedfordshire Council
Priory House, Monks Walk
Chicksands, Shefford
Bedfordshire BG17 5TQ
Mark your letter with the project reference: “Project
/09/00118/FULL”
Thank you for your support!
For more info:
British wind Energy Associa tion http://www.bwea.com/
Friends of the Earth http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/factsheets/wind_power_your_questions.pdf
and www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/wind_myths.pdf
Partnerships for Renewables http://www.pfr.co.uk/pfr/page/307
www.southbedsfoe.co.uk or ring Victoria Harvey, Coordinator
South Beds FoE on tel 01525 385 097 , 07815 817 108, Ema il vharvey@btopenworld.com