Wind Power

Low Carbon Hook Norton – Options for Wind Turbines ?

At present we are in the middle of a 2-year period of gathering wind speed and direction data. The Met Mast is sited to the North East of Hook Norton and started collecting data in March 2011. We do not have any specific plans for a size or site for a community turbine, or indeed whether HNLC would put one up at all, as this will be determined by what the wind data tells us and by consultation with the community once the data is available. Importantly, the data is not site specific and so the location of the Met Mast does not pre-determine the location of a future site on the hills around HN if the community wishes to develop a wind turbine.

We have noted that after the installation of the met mast, residents in the immediate vicinity of the mast have expressed their opposition to a turbine being sited there. We would take this actively into consideration in any future plans.

When we first mentioned the possibility of wind turbines in the Newsletter of December 2009 as part of options for the bid to win the £400,000 for Hook Norton, we did so with some trepidation as this has been a divisive issue in some parts of the country. From the studies that Cherwell  (click here for the report)  and West Oxford District Council  (click here for the report) have carried out we already know that they are suggesting that this area is possible for a wind turbine. The over-riding sentiment from the members of LCHN in meetings held in 2010 was “if there is likely to be a wind turbine let’s make it a community one” and there is a spread of views from not wanting to have a turbine in the surrounding countryside, to enthusiastic supporters saying wind turbines are beautiful.

We openly welcome people’s thoughts as we are clear that as HNLC a community wind turbine is something we would like to progress as a supported community project where the majority of people view this as a benefit for the community, otherwise we will focus on other projects. We look forward to hearing your thoughts, to let us know your views contact info@hn-lc.org.uk

To illustrate our approach, as a result of objections raised at the Great Rollright Parish Council meeting in early January 2011, HNLC decided not to use the Government grant to progress the part of plan to put up a small wind turbine and to focus on the collection of wind speed data. There was support from all those consulted to wait until a point where we have gathered the wind speed and direction data from the Meteorological Mast we then put up to the North East of Hook Norton.

We received planning permission from Cherwell DC to install a 40m met mast (see picture below) and  this was  installed in March 2011. This met mast will provide the Hook Norton community with wind speed and direction data needed to assess whether or not a community wind turbine would generate significant renewable electricity and an income for the Hook Norton community as a whole. Our aim is to provide every household in the community with a financial benefit if a turbine is installed, irrespective of whether or not they are in a position to invest in the community turbine. We would not be able to achieve this if for example we merely invested in a wind farm in someone else’s back yard, say in Scotland.

As we mentioned above, since Cherwell and West Oxfordshire studies have already identified that the hills around Hook Norton are likely to be good sites for wind turbines on the basis of modelled wind speed data we anticipate that there will be strong interest from potential developers and local landowners in putting up a wind turbine. The fact that the community will have measured wind speed data in its control will also give us an early chance to influence any commercial developers and/or landowners looking at putting up wind turbines in the areas around Hook Norton to maximise the benefit for the community as a whole.

It will take around a year to two years to get a good indication of the wind speeds and direction in the area and at that point we will in a position to consult widely across the community about whether and/or what size of wind turbine is supported by the majority of the community. We hope and believe that most people are supportive of waiting until we have the facts about the direction and strength of the wind in the Hook Norton area and then we will be able to consult with everyone on some specific proposals, rather than generalities.