Design and Access Statement and Supporting Planning
Statement
for the siting of one 50m Wind Turbine at
Lodge Farm, Kettlethorpe, Lincoln LN1 2LF
1. Application Description
Planning permission for the erection of a wind turbine on a 50m monopole mast at
Lodge Farm is sought to enable the applicants to reduce their carbon emissions and
energy bills and to increase their self sufficiency in terms of electricity production.
Once local obstructions have been taken into account, the sites predicted annual
average wind speed at 45m of 6.3m/s results in an estimated output of 1633MWh of
electricity per annum. This represents an annual CO2 saving of 702 tonnes. This
installed capacity will also help to contribute towards regional targets for renewable
energy generation for 2020.
2. Proposal
The proposed installation consists of one wind turbine, mounted on a free-standing
50m galvanised steel mast on a 13m2 concrete base. The turbine is a three-bladed
design that has a blade swept diameter of 54m. All non galvanised elements of the
turbine will be coloured non reflective white. See “EWT 500kW design” for a typical
design.
The turbine will be sited adjacent to the proposed poultry sheds. See “Lodge Site
Plan with proposed turbine location”.
3. Aerial photo of the site
4. Turbine Dimensions & Technical specifications
Assembly Height - The turbine assembly is mounted on a 50m high tower. The hub
of the rotor is at 50m. The rotor is a three bladed design and is 54m in diameter.
When in the vertical position, the tip of the rotor extends to a height of 77m and the
lowest point is 23m above the ground. This is around 1/2 the height of a typical
turbine found on a modern wind farm.
Foundation– The bottom of the tower is bolted onto a reinforced concrete base with
dimensions 13 x 13 x 2m which is below ground level and landscaped above to not
be visible.
Cabling- The turbines are connected to the grid via a buried steel wire armoured
cables. They are three phase devices so their output will feed the grid evenly.
Rotor- Slow turning with a maximum rotational speed of 28 rpm. White, reflection
free fibreglass blades.
Colour- An analysis of different colours of turbines has been carried out to
specifically look at the visual appearance of white, grey, galvanised, green, brown
and black. It has been concluded that a white or galvanised colouration would be
best for this site.
Mast Design – Turbines are installed on a solid tower structure.
5. Planning Policy Overview
We are considering the implications of the new NPPF document issues last week and
will submit a separate planning policy review.
6. Environmental Impact Assessment
In accordance with The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact
Assessment) (England and Wales)
Regulations 1999 (as amended) wind turbines fall within Schedule 2 development
and can require an Environmental Impact Assessment where they exceeds one of
the two applicable thresholds and criteria set out below:
• The development involves the installation of more than 2 turbines.
• The hub height of any turbine or height of any other structure exceeds 15m.
However, DETR Circular 02/99, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), paragraph
A15 states the following: “The likelihood of significant effects will generally depend
upon the scale of the development, and its visual impact, as well as potential noise
impacts. EIA is more likely to be required for commercial developments of five or more
turbines, or more than 5 MW of new generating capacity.”
Taking this into account we are of the opinion that a full EIA is unlikely to be required
in this case.
7. Economic, Social and Environmental benefits of the proposed development
In accordance with PPS22 companion guide the Economic, Social and Environmental
benefits of this proposal should be considered as material when determining the
application. This proposed wind turbine will use wind energy – this is an abundant
natural resource. It is non-polluting, clean and sustainable. The UK has one of
Europe’s windiest climates and therefore wind energy is an important element in
achieving the UK Government’s commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to
12.5% below 1990 levels by 2010. More specifically, it is Government policy to
achieve 30% of the nation’s electrical requirements from renewable sources by 2020
(source: UK Renewable Energy Strategy 2009); this proposal will help to move
towards these targets.
The development will generate electricity for the chicken farm which is an existing
rural enterprise. The applicant is committed to reducing their fuel costs as well as
their environmental and carbon footprints. This application is an essential element in
achieving this ambition.
The turbine will generate sufficient electricity to cover 85% of the total energy
consumption of the premises. On this basis the project will both diversify and
support the current agricultural use at the site allowing it to become more energy
efficient, environmentally friendly and cost effective. The energy generation from
the turbine will allow further green improvements to be made reducing the reliance
of the premises on gas and electric powered equipment. To be social responsible,
during times of high generation and low on site demand, generated electricity not
used will be fed back into the grid thus providing a wider community benefit working
towards the Governments regional and national targets for the supply of energy
from sustainable sources.
8. Siting
Small wind turbines are generally linked with a property and as such are rarely in
‘prime wind’ sites as sought by commercial power generators. Nevertheless, if care is
taken with regard to selection and positioning, a small wind turbine can make a
significant contribution to greenhouse gas reduction as well as being an
economically attractive proposition for the owner. The following rules of thumb
apply:




There should be no, or minimal, obstructions in the direction of the south
westerly prevailing wind.
Obstacles such as buildings and trees degrade wind quality by producing
turbulent zones in their vicinity. These can significantly reduce the output of
a turbine. It is important, therefore to select a tower of sufficient height to
allow the rotor to sit above any potentially turbulent zones.
Wind speed tends to increase with height in most locations, a phenomenon
known as wind shear. This variation in velocity with altitude is most dramatic
near the surface. Further, the energy in wind is proportional to the cube of
the wind speed. Consequently a small change in wind speed produces a much
larger change in wind energy.
Wind energy capture is related to the area swept by the rotor e.g. a 6m
radius rotor sweeps an area 4 times greater than a 3m rotor. Bigger rotors
generate more power.
The proposed locations and scale of the turbines help to maintain an association
with the farm buildings. The proposal is not to place commercial sized turbines in
open countryside.
9. Impact on the Landscape
The wind turbine shaft is located 50m above the ground, mounted on a freestanding monopole tower on a 13 x 13m concrete base and will not generate
unacceptable effects on the environment and local amenity. When assessing
planning applications PPS22 Para 20 advised that local authorities should recognise
that the impact of turbine on the landscape will vary according to the size and
number of turbine and the type of landscape involved. The turbine form and siting of
the turbine have been chosen with this in mind.
The chosen turbine scale and design, which is slim in profile, will reduce their
visibility over a distance. These turbines have no tail fin which makes the turbine
head less visually obtrusive. Also the non reflective white colour of the turbine will
help them blend with the landscape and sky.
In conclusion as outlined above the proposed wind turbines will not cause
unacceptable harm to the visual amenity of the locality nor will they have a
detrimental effect on the character of the area. The minimal and extremely localised
effect of the installation will be sufficiently outweighed by the positive
environmental effects associated with the proposal. These include the generation of
a clean energy supply from a sustainable source that will help to reduce the farms
reliance on fossil fuel and lower green house gas emission, which will in turn help to
conserve the quality of the landscape for the longer term.
10. Noise
The turbine site chosen is 215 metres from the nearest property not owned by the
applicant. The selected position provides adequate exposure to the prevailing wind
and minimises the risk of turbulence. The site has been appropriately specified,
designed and located to allow sufficient distance between the wind generators and
any existing noise-sensitive development so that noise from the wind generator will
not be a nuisance or a material consideration in deciding the planning application.
In practice, turbine noise is often masked by background noise such as wind, leaves
rustling, traffic noise etc. Noise usually emanates from two sources, gearboxes, and
the blades. The blade noise generally increases with increasing blade speeds. The
example turbine used, EWT 500kW has no gearbox and has a maximum rotational
speed of 28rpm making it a very quiet machine.
ETSU-R-97 is a Noise Assessment and Rating advice note for Wind Turbine
Developments. This Guidance Note recommends that in most circumstances the
fixed noise limit for night time is 43DB (A) is acceptable. This limit is derived from
35DB (A) sleep disturbance criteria referred to in Planning Policy Guidance Note 24.
An allowance of 10DB (A) is made for attenuation through an open window (freefield to internal) and 2dB subtracted to account for use of LA90 10min rather than
LAeq 10 min. The Noise Working Group recommends that day time lower fixed limits
can be higher than this at 45 DB(A). They also state that considerations should be
given to increasing the permissible margin above background where the occupier of
the site has some financial involvement in the wind turbines meaning that it can be
acceptable to have higher noise readings where the applicant’s property is the
primary affected residence. In addition ETSU-R-97 recommends the noise from a
turbine should be less than the background noise plus 5dBA unless the lower limit of
43dBA night time or 45dBA day time is already achieved.
The noise output from the EWT 500kW turbine has been measured and reported in
the approved manner see “DW54 – 50m noise analysis”.
For further analysis of the noise levels and how it varies with wind speed and
distance see “EWT 500kW noise analysis”. Please note that the true background
noise level is likely to be higher than 20dB due to the proximity of local roads and the
chickens. The analysis shows that at distances greater than 230m the noise from the
EWT 500kW turbine noise is theoretically below the advisory maximum levels as
recommended by ETSU-R-97. However, due to the reasons above, it is not
considered that the nearest property at 215m linear distance will suffer any adverse
noise impact.
In conclusion the noise levels of this wind generator are low and under most
operating conditions it is likely that the micro wind generator noise would be
completely masked by the background noise.
11. Shadow flicker
Shadow flicker can cause a problem to nearby properties early in the morning or late
in evening. It is caused by the rotating blades interrupting the light from sun when
the turbine is between you and the sun. This occurs early in the morning to the west
of the turbine and late in the evening to the east of turbine. The effect is likely to be
worse on sunny days in winter than in summer, as in summer the sun is much higher
for longer and therefore the shadow is more local to the actual turbine. It is
generally accepted that some degree of shadow flicker is acceptable, but that limits
should be imposed to restrict the number of hours per year for which any one
property is affected. There are no specific rules on this, but a 30 hour per year
maximum has been suggested as reasonable in Germany and this seems to be
generally accepted. Expected shadow flicker is difficult to predict however some
general rules and guidance can be applied.
A separate shadow flicker analysis will be submitted.
12. Electro-magnetic Interference and Aviation
The proposed wind turbine uses an axial flux permanent magnet brushless alternator
and thereby avoids one main source of potential electromagnetic interference, worn
brushes. The other common source of electromagnetic interference is the switching
circuitry used in the controller and inverter to adjust the turbine’s loading. This
equipment is fully compliant with the EMC directive.
Scattering of signal is a phenomenon that very occasionally may affect large utility
sale turbines. It is not considered to be relevant to turbines as small as those
proposed in this case. Furthermore between the years of 2008 and 2012 the
government is planning to update the UK’s transmission network and provide digital
viewing for all. Once this takes place, television signal interference will no longer be
of concern as digital signals will not be subject to electromagnetic interference.
Because of their physical size, in particular their height, wind farms can have an
effect on the aviation domain. Additionally, rotating wind turbine blades may have
an impact on certain aviation operations, particularly those involving radar. The
aviation community has procedures in place which are designed to assess the
potential effect of developments such as wind farms on its activities, and, where
necessary, to identify mitigating measures.
13. Historic Environment
The turbine site is sufficiently remote from all conservation areas, and scheduled
monuments so as not to cause an adverse impact.
Although it is not anticipated that there will be any sites of archaeological interest
affected by the proposed construction or operation of the wind turbines due to the
modest ground works associated with the development, the applicant is concerned
to assist the Local planning authority to meet the ambitions of PPS16 (Planning and
Archaeology). Accordingly during the excavation of the void for the base of the wind
turbine should any building foundations, artefacts or other unusual finds be made
these will be notified to the relevant local authority archaeologist.
14. Access
Access for digging equipment, concrete dumpers etc. will be by way of the farm
entrance and existing track. The components that require mechanical handling will
be delivered to site on articulated vehicles that will be parked off the main road for
unloading and temporary storage. The components will then be moved into position
by an all terrain fork lift or similar vehicle.
Excavations for the foundations and cable trenches will be carried out by a tracked
digger. All excavations, cable laying, building work, holes through existing walls etc.
will be carried out in accordance with relevant health and safety requirements and
good construction practice and the safe use of tools and equipment.
The installation company shall provide detailed instructions for the safe sequencing
and carrying out of the installation and commissioning works. These will be followed
in detail and include the fixing of notices etc. to the completed work for its
continued safe use. Prior approval will be obtained from the existing energy supplier
to make the final grid connections.
During the course of the works protection to excavations, working areas etc. will be
provided in accordance with good construction practice. Once the work is complete
no special protection to the installation is required.
15. Health & Safety
Training for the safe use of the equipment will be provided to the end user. All the
components are designed for a trouble free long life with minimum maintenance. An
annual inspection of the turbine head is required to comply with the warranty
requirements and to ensure efficient operation.
The Equipment is microprocessor controlled and is GSM enabled allowing the
machine to be remotely controlled and monitored over the internet. This means that
the turbine is monitored at all times by the factory, to ensure it is working safely and
to its full potential.
The turbines are fully assembled on the ground and raised by a hydraulic ram. Future
maintenance will be carried out by lowering the turbines, negating the need to climb
the tower.
Experience indicates that properly designed and maintained wind generators are a
safe technology. The very few accidents that have occurred involving injury to
humans have been caused by failure to observe manufacturers’ and operators’
instructions for the operation of the machines. There has been no recorded injury to
a member of the public. The minimum desirable distance between wind turbines and
occupied buildings calculated on the basis of expected noise levels and visual impact
will often be greater than that necessary to meet safety requirements. Fall over
distance (i.e. the height of the wind turbine to the tip of the blade) plus 10% is often
used as a safe separation distance. The wind turbine erected in accordance with
manufacturer’s instructions is a stable and safe structure.
The wind turbine will be separated from overhead power lines in accordance with
the Energy Networks Association Technical specification 43-8 Issue 3 ‘Overhead Line
Clearances’. No overhead cables are proposed to the installation. All underground
cables will be installed in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations.
The scale and design of the wind turbine and the choice of location have been
consciously made to reduce the risks associated with; the collection of ice on the
blades, the incidence of shadow flicker and of reflected light. On the basis of the
manufacturer’s guidance and historical performance of this model of wind turbine
these aspects are not considered to pose any risk to public safety or security.
16. Ecology & Nature Conservation
There are no trees or hedgerows that will be effected by the proposed development.
It has been highlighted that the greatest threat to all living species is climate change
resulting from carbon emissions. Whilst there is little data available on the risk to
wildlife by small wind turbines, it is too easy to impose requirements appropriate to
industrial scale machines.
The British Wind Energy Association Website (http://www.bwea.com) States
“Experience and careful monitoring by independent experts shows that birds are
unlikely to be damaged by the moving blades of micro wind generators. More
information about this can be found from BWEA Best Practice Guidelines and the
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, whose view is that "Climate change is the
most significant, long-term threat to biodiversity worldwide. To help meet this
threat, the RSPB also strongly supports moves to increase energy efficiency, reduce
energy demand and supply more of our energy needs from renewable sources,
including wind power, provided they do not harm birds or their habitats." Studies of
birds increasingly show that the risk from wind turbines to most species is very low,
far greater risk exists from overhead cables and moving cars. The RSPB have installed
a small wind turbine at their visitor centre at Rainham Marshes and are reported to
be considering turbines for other sites. The RSPB position on wind turbine
installations is illustrated here: http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9213213 .
Furthermore guidance published by the BWEA 2001 in conjunction with English
Nature, RSPB and WWWF-UK indicates that bats species in the UK are unlikely to
come in to contact with blades during their normal movements. Risk to bats and
other flying species are reduced by the design of the turbines and most importantly
the tip speed of the blades.
Many nature conservation bodies now support the use of small scale renewables
installation including domestic turbines, for example the National Trust " believe
there is great potential in developing renewable energy, for both electricity and
heat, at a more local and small scale, in households, businesses and communities."
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-microgen-policy_from_practice.pdf
and
English Nature also "support the development of renewable energy schemes
(including wind, biomass and energy from waste projects) where these have
appropriate standards for environmental protection, will not damage wildlife and
natural features, and will contribute to achieving sustainability as well as emissions
reduction targets.".
The local hydrology including main rivers, private watercourses or Ground Water
Protection Zones will not be materially affected by the installation of the concrete
pad to support the micro wind generator. The area around the concrete base of the
turbine will also be unaffected by the wind turbine. There are no impacts predicted
on any ground living mammals or any plants or invertebrates.
Taking the above into account the proposed construction and operation of the wind
turbines can be carried out without having any adverse impact on existing ecological
or hydrological features or assets of value as such the proposal does not conflict with
local or national planning policy concerning this matter
17. Driver Distraction
Drivers are faced with a number of varied and competing distractions during a
normal journey, including advertising hoardings which are deliberately designed to
attract attention. At all times drivers are required to take reasonable care to ensure
their own and others safety. The companion guide for PPS22 states that wind
turbines should not be treated any differently from other distractions a driver must
face and should not be considered a particularly hazardous.
In this case due to the location, scale and siting of the turbines driver distraction is
not considered to be a material consideration.
18. Conclusion
The site for the wind turbines has been carefully chosen to ensure that it can be
absorbed by the local landscape and is not unduly disruptive from most mid and
distant public viewpoints. Where distinguishable from close vantage points on the
public and private right of ways the visual effects of the wind turbines have been
minimised through appropriate siting and design, and are outweighed by the
economic, social and environmental benefits of the proposal outlined above. This
taken together with the demonstration of no harm it is considered that this
development is appropriate for the location and purpose for which it is proposed.
19. Additional Information
The information contained within this application provides a comprehensive
assessment of the landscape, visual effects and other aspects of the proposed
development. It also provides details of the specific environmental, economic and
social benefits that arise from this renewable energy project. As such it provides the
necessary objective criteria based information for the planning authority to address
the key development control issues and to determine the application. However the
applicant recognises that notwithstanding the contents of this submission, local
politicians and stakeholders may have questions or may require further information.
The applicant (and representatives) is prepared to meet with politicians and other
stakeholders to provide any further information and in order to address any
subjective concerns as part of the planning application determining process. Should
the planning authority be minded to refuse the application based on any such
concerns, then the applicant would wish to have the opportunity to provide further
information, to modify the application, submit to relevant conditions or negotiate a
developer obligation before a refusal was issued.