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Heydon Grange Wind Farm
Heydon Grange Wind Farm the impact on Melbourn
Some of you may have read in the press about a possible wind farm development in the area. The facts are, that a German company called Volkswind are undertaking an ‘Environmental Impact Assessment’ (EIA) on land owned by Heydon Grange golf club, to assess the affect that such a development would have on the local environment.
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There is no planning application at the time of writing this piece (late April) but this is very likely to follow soon. Here are some of the basic details about the potential development. • The site is roughly 2km square to the rear of the golf club, either side of Fowlmere
Road, Heydon. • Eleven turbines may be built. • Each turbine is 126.5 metres (415 feet) tall - equal to a 40 story building. Consider that Canary Wharf is 50 stories and one can see that this is a major development! • Turbines will be as close as 400m from the nearest house on Fowlmere Road
Heydon. • It is estimated that the turbines will be visible from about 30km and other impacts potentially felt over a radius of up to about 10km.
Given the scale of this development, several villages will be significantly impacted as well as Heydon, albeit to varying degrees and in different ways. These will include Melbourn, The Chishills, Duxford, Fowlmere, Barley, Foxton and Thriplow. The affects to consider will include but not be restricted to:
Visual impact – Noise – Effect on eco system – Archaeology and sites of historical interest – Aircraft – TV interference – Sociol economic issues including property values
The EIA scoping work came to light when the EIA document was produced by Volkswind in March 2010 and the villages impacted were invited by South Cambridgeshire District Council to comment on the environmental aspects of the document - not planning merits - by 12th April 2010.
Melbourn parish councillor Jose Hales, attended meetings held by Heydon and Chishill parish councils, to listen to information presented there and reported back to Melbourn Parish council who have provided a timely response to South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) on the scoping document. Other villages including Heydon and Chishill have provided responses too.
You can read the EIA scoping document on South Cambs web site at: www.scambs.gov.uk/Environment/Planning/DevelopmentPlanning/heydonwindscopingrequest.htm. It is also available at the Melbourn Parish Council office at 28 Station Road (01763 262494), as are copies of Melbourn and Heydon village’s responses to SCDC on the Volkswind scoping document.
Melbourn Parish Council have this as a regular agenda item and along with County Councillor Susan Van de Ven and District Councillor Val Barrett are monitoring the situation closely.
I also attended the Heydon and Chishill meetings as an interested resident of Melbourn and have been continuing to gather information about the likely impact of this development and the likelihood of other developments following in the area.
An “action group” is being set up by residents (as this goes to press) as several significant concerns have been raised by them as to the suitability of the site. The group wishes to make clear it is not against the principles of renewable energy in appropriate and productive sites.
At present I am acting as the communication channel between our village and this group.
I invite other Melbourn residents interested in understanding the likely affects upon our village to contact me to raise important public awareness. The assumption that it’s proximity will not affect us is incorrect and I urge you to access the information being made available so you are appropriately informed.
Any residents interested in establishing the facts should e-mail me at windfarm@melbourn.org.uk putting ‘wind farm’ in the subject matter.
Alternatively you can write giving your name and address for further contact (if you wish) and drop or post your correspondence into the Melbourn Parish office at 28, Station Road, Melbourn, SG8 6DX (which is acting only as a central collection point) clearly marked ‘wind farm’. I will collect any correspondence on a regular basis.
Please mention this article to your neighbours and friends in the village (or neighbouring villages) and encourage them to take an interest.
The Heydon Grange Wind Farm action group can be contacted directly via info@stopheydonwindfarm.com and are keen to hear urgently from residents willing to contribute any of their time and skills. Jeannie Seers, Melbourn
