Author: simon
Cheverton Down Wind Turbines: Cornwall Light and Power Interview Part One (podcast)
Tuesday, 24th February, 2009 at 8:39 am, Isle of Wight
Business, Conservation, Environment, Green Issues, Island-wide, podcast
We know that there’s disagreement on the Island about if Wind turbines should be placed here.
We approached this interview with Steve Allen from Cornwall Light and Power (CL&P) from the basis of really not knowing whether placing Wind turbines on the Isle of Wight was a good or a bad thing.
At an initial glance — importantly setting aside the impact that they might have on the landscape where they are installed — it would appear that wind turbines would be good. They provide ‘free energy,’ right?
Looking slightly deeper raises a number of questions including quite how free the energy produced is and what the environmental costs of producing the equipment actually is.
We hoped that by asking questions we, and you as readers/listeners, would get closer to understanding the advantages and disadvantages.
The background
CL&P already have planning permission to build wind turbines on Cheverton Down.
It was originally granted in 1995 and was followed in 2001 with the granting of another application to extend the blade length.
As the foundations have already been dug, in the eyes of planning, the development has started, so the planning permission can’t expire.
CL&P have now applied to place larger turbines on this site and changing the layout of the turbines.
So the discussion isn’t around _if_ wind turbines can be built at Cheverton Down, just down to the size of the turbines that will be used.
What we heard
This is the first portion, as the interview turned out to be quite long.
In it we heard that the “The UK is one of the windiest countries in Europe. We have 40% of Europe’s wind.”
That Cheverton Down has an average wind speed of 8.2m/s, according to the government estimates of NOABL (Numerical Objective Analysis of Boundary Layer – eh?!?!) and that there are other potential site on the Island, but Cheverton Down has the advantages of being one of the most scarcely populated point of the Island.
Currently the closest wind turbines to the Isle of Wight are located in either Reading or Somerset. Those do not use Vestas blades. The nearest using Vesta blades are in Peterborough.
We’ll be bringing out the next section of this interview shortly.
(For balance, we’ve tried really hard to get ThWART’s view on this, but have been let down.)
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More VentnorBlog articles of Cheverton Down.
image: mcdlttx
Wind turbine at the Museum of Wind Power in Lubbock, TX.
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I would much rather have a couple of wind turbines on cheverton downs than a nuclear power station! the older generation need to think about their children and grandchildren. Do they really want them to grow up in an environment with an extreme amount of polution or an minimized polution environment. The older generation that are fighting against wind turbines are only thinking about themselves at the moment, thinking that their retirment isnt going to be special because of the installation of a couple of wind turbines, but to be fair, there going to die out in 5,10 15 years where as their grandchildren have many a years ahead of them. They are just being extremely selfish!
Global warming is a hot topic, with the ice caps melting and sea levels rising, we as a nation need to do as much as we can to reduce the amount of polution that is given off, and not turn our noses up at ideas that will allow us to help slow down global warming!!!
(Im from shorwell – so i can see cheverton downs extremely easily)
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Hey, thanks, thats a great interview.
Hopefully the Island will take the long term view, we need to.
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The article re. the wind Turbine discussion is excellent: Clear, easily navigable and allows ample opportunity for those who wish to have their say.
Chris
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Yep, agree with previous posters, it’s good to see some of the facts set out. We had an idea today, how about all the parishes being asked if they’d like to have a turbine erected in their patch. Then get the first one built where it’s most welcomed (providing wind speeds make it worthwhile) – happy to have a couple here in Winford.
Does anyone know how noisy turbines are?
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The nearest commercial wind turbine is actually on the island at HMP Parkhurst. The 15 metre tall, 15kW turbine was installed last week.
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Wind turbine blades were made on the banks of the Medina river at Newport. I would have thought that the residents would would try to support this industy in hope that it makes more work.
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I wish to support this application in the strongest terms. I am dismayed at the ready willingness of vociferous members of the public to oppose ANY wind turbine proposal whilst seeming to ignore the fact that they, as we all do, rely on electricity for almost every element of modern life. The alternative is only a choice between carbon dioxide generation or atomic power.
Turbines have been built in many other places both in the UK and abroad and generally seem well received, indeed sometimes a tourist attraction.
In contrast to the argument that they seldom generate worthwhile levels of power, I was intrigued to hear on the radio that a major U.S. restaurant chain was now entirely dependent on wind-power for its energy needs!
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