Dear <<First Name>>
Many thanks to all who have already responded to the Wiltshire Council consultation on the amendment to the Core Strategy. This is the final call to those who haven’t yet had the time to remind you about responding and to emphasise how critical it is that we object to this entirely unnecessary move as the current guidance is more than adequate.
The consultation closes on Thursday 1st November at 5 p.m. so there are only 10 days left to respond. More details below.
If you respond by email or letter please do not forget to state your postal town/village or they will not know that the response is from a Wiltshire resident (if you are).
Also, to help you with your response, or to make up your mind, we are hosting a meeting in BoA about wind energy on 30th October, 2 days before the consultation closes:
Wind Power - Myths and Truths'
Tuesday 30th October, 7.30 p.m.
This meeting organised by CFB will hopefully dispel some of the myths and answer questions about wind power in a friendly and open atmosphere. Our speaker will be ffinlo Costain. The meeting will take place in the Wallington Room (formerly Upper Holy Trinity Church Hall), Church Street, Bradford on Avon and start at 7.30pm prompt. All are welcome.
Wiltshire Council Consultation
As it stands the proposed amendment to Core Policy 42 would be very damaging to aspirations for renewable energy in Wiltshire. It is not about allowing wind farms anywhere but about a fair planning system which judges each application on its merits and does not deny communities the benefits wind turbines can bring. To find out more about the campaign to get the amendment overturned and for information on how to respond to the consultation, please visit www.wiltshirecea.org.uk. If you are unsure what to say there are suggestions on the site but obviously it is up to you what to put and the best approach is to use your own words.
If you'd prefer, we have prepared this letter that might help you to get started; you can cut and paste it as it is, but it's best to make it as personal as possible and to use your own words as much as you can. Please e-mail it to: Spatial Planning at Wiltshire Council :
I am writing as a resident of Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, to express my support for wind energy generation making a vital contribution to the production of clean energy in Wiltshire. The National Planning Policy Framework, published in March 2012, sets out the following opportunity for local planning authorities:
“planning plays a key role in helping shape places to secure radical reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, minimising vulnerability and providing resilience to the impacts of climate change, and supporting the delivery of renewable and low carbon energy and associated infrastructure. This is central to the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.” (para 93).
I am in support of the statement above and support local wind energy development for the following reasons:
- There is no longer a credible argument against climate change and our persistent use of fossil fuels is demonstrating a wilful ignorance of our global environment and a total neglect for the future of our children.
- I believe that a combination of different renewable energy sources, including wind, can provide sustainable, long-term energy generation.
- Wind generation provides unique opportunities for community based projects that engage with individuals such that they can see how they are playing a serious part in delivering the improvements needed for the environment;
- I support the UK’s commitment to producing 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 and I am concerned that we are not going to achieve this legally binding target;
- I want my local authority to accept the overwhelming scientific consensus that immediate action to reduce carbon emissions is required at local and regional levels. This reduction can be achieved, in part, by implementing planning policies that are not obstructive to onshore wind farm development.
I encourage you to rescind the proposed change to Wiltshire Core Policy 42, to take note of the growing weight of informed opinion in support of onshore wind energy generation and to make proper use of hard facts, scientific evidence, and engineering risk assessments to determine policy.
Yours, etc.
Also, here are a few other websites that you might be interested in looking at:
Top Myths About Wind Energy
Windpower Myths are Blown Away
Wind Myths
Why Wind
