Bad News, More LP in planning stage for devon!

[astromerlin]

For the last few weeks my neighbours have been chatting about the new solar energy farm

planned in the Bampton area, mostly negative comments. So I've been told it's an 80 acre site, now I'm all for a bit of green energy and couldn't see what all the fuss was about.

Well, I have been informed that the company involved has plans to illuminate the whole site with sodium

lighting for the security cameras.

I'm now awake and fuming. The missus has written a strongly worded letter to the council.

I missed the first meeting but i'm sure going to the next one.

Havn't these people heard of ir-cctv cameras, no need for the floodlights.

[username]

When you go to the next one ask them to explain their decision process when they decided to make clean energy in the day and use energy from conventional sources at night to light it!

[ronin]

Bit antiquated thinking, sodium lights. Shouldn't they at least cause the light pollution with LED lights ? :grin:

[username]

Surely an 80 acre site could be fenced off at the perimeter efficiently enough that anybody wanting to trespass would have to have special forces training. No need for security cameras, plus I would think that it's a low security situation anyway. Can't imagine many people wanting to vandalise it.

I can't edit yet due to post count, sorry for double post.

[astromerlin]

Dont get me started with LED lights, i'm not sure the're a good thing either

[ronin]

Damn sure they are not, as astronomers we complained about the sodium ones, so now they have "better" LED ones we are complaining about them.

Suppose they arte bothered about people nicking the panels and the cabling.

[JamesF]

If you're near Bampton then we're not a million miles away. There was a planning application near here for a similar project submitted a few months back, though only about 30-odd acres I believe. They specifically said there would be no lighting at all at night. Perhaps that might be used as an example when questioning why it is required.

Also, Exmoor now formally being a dark sky area, there are certain additional controls on lighting on Exmoor and I believe they may apply to areas close to Exmoor, so you may have cause to oppose it on those grounds.

The idea of using fossil-fuel electricity to light a solar PV site at night surely has to be one of the most bizarre ideas. But of course the people doing it aren't in it because they believe in the reason for doing it. They're in it for the money.

James

[JamesF]

Found the application in question. If you go here: http://www1.tauntondeane.gov.uk/tdbcsites/plan/plapplookup.asp and search for planning application 41/12/0005 you should find the details. It's been quite a contentious issue with any number of people wheeling out their own particular hobby-horses and taking the opportunity to do a bit of axe-grinding, so there's a fair bit of correspondence. I wonder if they all realise their grievances are available online.

James

[Stevp]

Found the application in question. If you go here: http://www1.tauntondeane.gov.uk/tdbcsites/plan/plapplookup.asp and search for planning application 41/12/0005 you should find the details. It's been quite a contentious issue with any number of people wheeling out their own particular hobby-horses and taking the opportunity to do a bit of axe-grinding, so there's a fair bit of correspondence. I wonder if they all realise their grievances are available online.

James

Slightly off-topic,

I got well peeved with my local council when we applied for permission to build a "granny annex" for my aging grandfather. They printed a supporting statement giving his previous home address, the fact that he lived alone and all of his medical conditions! I was not amused! I only discovered it was online after several weeks. They removed it pretty quick though! On the plus side, related or otherwise, we got the planning permission

[Stevp]

Sorry for the double post, wow James that really is an eye-opener! Great to see all number of names, addresses and email addresses published so the developer knows exactly who chucked the spanners in the works!

[astromerlin]

Hi James, No it's not that one its in Mid Devon council ref 12/01522/MFUL

Slightly good news is there's already near 400 objections.

[JamesF]

Hi James, No it's not that one its in Mid Devon council ref 12/01522/MFUL

No, I was referring to the one that specified in the application that there would be no lighting.

James

[astromerlin]

No, I was referring to the one that specified in the application that there would be no lighting.

James

Ah, I see. Must of mis read it. I was quite suprised of the amount of these solar sites popping up though

[JamesF]

Sorry for the double post, wow James that really is an eye-opener! Great to see all number of names, addresses and email addresses published so the developer knows exactly who chucked the spanners in the works!

I have to admit that I'd probably be in favour of redacting email addresses from the documents, but planning applications have to be a matter of public record and have been for a long time; the internet has just made it easier for those not "in the know" to find the details. There are good reasons for objecting to planning applications, but there often seem to be a fair number of people who use them as an opportunity to settle scores and indulge in their own nasty little battles with neighbours. If they know these things will end up online perhaps that won't happen so much.

In the documents for that particular application there's a comment made that the farmer whose land the site would be on recently made applications for three chicken houses against which there was massive opposition. That's not untrue, there was; mostly from people who had no clue what they were talking about. The applications went through, the houses were built and none of the problems that were "absolutely inevitable" have occurred at all. In fact, most people don't even know they're there. It really does bring out the worse of human nature

James