Wind farm development expiriences?

[Scrambler]

I'm hoping to go into a lease agreement to put up a single 1.5mw wind turbine. 60m mast, 77m rotor diameter, so 100m to tip, and about 900m from the nearest houses. I've done a quick pole of the 20 or so houses that will have their view most affected and 15% were negative, 20% were positive, and 65% neutral. I'm well aware that once a project like this is announced, the anti wind farm brigade can start stirring things up. So I'm curious to hear from other people's expiriences of going through this process.
Thanks.

 

[renewablejohn]

Depends what idiots you have in your local planning department. Max turbine size authorised by my planning authority is 20kw. Two adjoining authorities is 1.5MW. Rather ironic that our authority managed to get two 1.5MW turbines refused in 2006 with the help of the local nimby's only to be replaced with 12 x 1.5MW turbines the nearest being 500 mtrs away from the 2006 refused site.

 

[DrWazzock]

You have probably done it, but get a good solicitor to look at the lease.

Think about cable routes and access roads plus the hard standing needed at each wind turbine for the crane. Developers seem very vague about these matters before signing lease, and IMO this is not good enough. There should be an outline plan of roads and cable routes before the lease is signed otherwise they have carte Blanche to do as they like and then you are powerless to object.

Check noise levels very carefully before you sign anything. And what type of turbine is proposed? Tie this down a bit so you don't end up with some noisy old crocks.

Bear in mind, that even if noise levels meet planning requirements, locals can still sue for noise nuisance which could be costly to defend. Make sure the lease states that the tenant will indemnify you for any such liabilities that might arise due to the turbines.

Make sure the developer himself has a good financial status and does he have power to reassign the lease to others? Might end up with difficult tenant. If tenant goes bust, the first place people will come to is the landlord if there are any liabilities outstanding.

Some kind of arrangement needs to be made to decommission the turbines at the end of their life. Needs to be included in the lease.

Just a few thoughts. We went through the process but decided not to proceed. Paying hefty legal expenses just to fashion an unfavourable lease into shape did not seem like a good start to a project to us. The developer put in very little pre lease effort, which also told us all we needed to know.

I am sure these things can work, but more likely with a national reputable company rather than some one who is only interested in selling the lease on.

 

[Walterp]

We've agreed to at least 1 330kw turbine, which is 40m to the hub. Local planners were extremely helpful, and the developers' reporting team were probably the best in the industry. It still took a long time to put through, and cost a surprisingly large sum of money. That turbine is going up in September, and I'll put up some pictures of the process.

None of our neighbours objected, which I put down to my being a really nice bloke....

 

[Sid]

Watch for the Hertiage impact card. This is the card they are playing against my application. Can't believe an ancient monument 1000 metres away thats less than 2 metres high on private land facing the opposite way could be affected by a turbine?

 

[grumpy]

Watch for the Hertiage impact card. This is the card they are playing against my application. Can't believe an ancient monument 1000 metres away thats less than 2 metres high on private land facing the opposite way could be affected by a turbine?

ahh now i see why your anti nuclear

 

[DrWazzock]

Wind turbines have been politicised round here. The Conservative MP, the Conservative District and County Councils have set themselves very much against wind turbines. Even when their own planning officers recommend approval, they vote against them, regardless of the expense to the taxpayer fighting appeals and sometimes losing them, Almost weekly, the MP and some councillors write an anti turbine rant in the local rag. The councillors are mindful of the blue rinse Daily Mail reading hystericals who make up their core vote, whilst the MP has the same concern but also objects to subsidies these turbines attract, and he probably has some point there, but he ignores subsidies that all other power sources and industries receive.

I am not really excited about it one way or the other, but what strikes me about it is how much money is being spent by developers and taxpayers getting absolutely nowhere very slowly. There is too much inconsistency between national encouragement for renewable energy and local political opposition to it. A policy in chaos.

Almost every application it would seem "blocks the view of Lincoln Cathedral". Farcical really.

 

[Honest john]

Well we had very little resistance. One house inhabited by gays demanded screening. ( They left before the build, no screening needed ).
Another House were anti, Screening was installed. They have now sold ( Quick Sale ) as well.
On the whole most folk where neutral one person very anti.
Now up and running, you soon get used to them.
Closest 400 Meters from our house.
We can see 55 from the farm now.

 

[DrWazzock]

It's a postcode lottery. Should be same rules nationally IMO.

 

[Sid]

It's a postcode lottery. Should be same rules nationally IMO.

Not even postcode. Neighbours got permission without a heritage report. 200 metres away from my site. Mine is too much of an impact on some lumps in the ground with a slurry lagoon within 10 metres but in next field. Its going to be refused. Maybe overturned on appeal but what a bloody farce!!!