• 16:37

  REFUSED

  Cheers erupt throughout the chamber as AVDC throw out the Dorcas Lane Wind Turbine proposal

• 15:25

  Last to speak is Stewkley councillor Janet Blake who suggests that:

  ...visual impact would be impossible to mitigate

• 15:00

  Andrew Smith of Force 9 Energy now has his turn to speak. He claims that only 20% of people in the local area have objected to the plans. Leaving what seems to be a factual inaccuracy to one side, he fails to mention that only 14 PEOPLE have supported the application, including the three land owners, all of whom stand to make a significant amount of money should these plans be approved

• 14:40

  Protesters in favour of wind turbines near Stoke Hammond

  

• 14:35

  Objector Joseph Cresswell says:

  We are not against renewable energy. But this is the wrong development, wrong area, for the wrong reasons."

• 14:25

  A Stewkley schoolgirl takes to the mic to voice her objection to the proposal having taken the day off school to speak. She says she is not against wind energy, but:

  ...it is the wrong development and wrong area. Majority of young people in village are against

• 14:55

  Jonathan Pope gets a huge round of applause as he criticises AVDC for letting the proposal get to this stage without proper public consultation

• 14:05

  Speaking against the proposal on behalf of Soulbury P C, Jonathan Pope said:

  This will harm the health of local people, cultural heritage, business and is an undeniable risk to public safety

• 13:52

  Speaking against the proposal on behalf of Stoke Hammond P C, Hazel Turner said:

  It brings no benefits, but instead insults us by offering £12,000 of community funding shared between six villages

• 13:40

  Protesters against wind turbines near Stoke Hammond gathered before the meeting at Aylesbury Vale offices!

  

• 13:30

  Updates to agenda info includes the Highway Agency who have (quite sensibly) objected to route one access (Hollingdon Lane) to the site area.

• 13:11

  Speaking against the proposal, Mark Cunningham said:

  It is an appalling disregard of the virtually unanimous views of all six villages...and the idea that someone could come in purely for financial gain is utterly appalling so that's why I'm here today.

• 12:00

  Attendees are gathering to read the official papers before the meeting starts at 1:00. Meanwhile, SDLT protestors at the AVDC offices are donning protest T Shirts and waving banners

• 13:00

  And the Chamber doors open ... the crowds enter for the meeting. Rough estimates suggest that 95% of the audience is against this proposal. SDLT T-Shirts very much in evidence

• 12:00

  Attendees are gathering to read the official papers before the meeting starts at 1:00. Meanwhile, SDLT protestors at the AVDC offices are donning protest T Shirts and waving banners

• 10:30

  Unfortunately the weather is closing in and low cloud is obscuring the blimps that are now flying close to the proposed turbine site. Ironically there isn't enough wind to clear the low cloud.... Unsurprising really when you realise that the average wind speed at Dorcas Lane is within the lowest 2% of all proposed or planned wind farm sites across the whole country

• 10:00

  SDLT Chairman Malcolm Newing speaks on BBC Three Counties Radio, along with fellow Stoke Hammond residents Sally Levkouskis and Dean Jackson, together with a Mr Butterworth representing Force 9 Energy / Electricité de France. General feeling is that Malcolm had the better of the various exchanges. The full transcript should be available soon on this website

• 09:00

  The three orange blimps are now flying over the fields. At 400ft they are below the height of the four turbines with their 295ft rotating blades

  Joseph, Hollingdon

AVDC have now confirmed that the Strategic Development Control Committee will determine the application to build 4 turbines at Dorcas Lane on Weds 20th March.

The Hearing is a public meeting and it is extremely important that we show the strength of our local opposition by attending in numbers. Please do not leave this to others and make every effort to attend – the venue is a large building capable of holding 200+ members of the public and we want to fill it. If you have friends and neighbours who support our cause, please bring them along.

The Hearing will take place at:

THE OCULUS,
AVDC,
THE GATEWAY,
GATEHOUSE ROAD,
AYLESBURY
HP19 8FF

Start time of the meeting is 1pm – we strongly recommend that you arrive by 12.30 to ensure that everyone is seated in good time. Visitor parking is available on site – if you lack transport we are also arranging a coach to collect people from the surrounding villages. This will be free of charge and if you would like transportation please contact us via email at stopdorcaslaneturbines@hotmail.co.uk

SDLT have recently submitted a Statement of Objection document to Aylesbury Vale District Council. This document explains in exhaustive detail all our material objections to the proposed erection of four 125m high turbines at Dorcas Lane, as well as delivering a highly critical examination of Force 9 Energy’s submitted documentation.

To help our supporters understand the specific concerns we have produced a series of Fact Sheets newsletters, each one covering a specific area of concern, which we are pleased to now make available to anyone visiting our website.

In the side bar to the right of this paragraph is a list of page links titled 'Fact Sheets'. Select and click on a subject to view our detailed and specific concerns with the Dorcas Lane wind turbine application

What it is about?

A proposal to build 4 wind turbines each one over 410 feet high, or almost the height of the London Eye and 3 times that of the Milton Keynes Snow Dome.

Why should I be concerned?

The wind farm will be extremely close to the villages of  Hollingdon, Stoke Hammond, Soulbury, Stewkley, Drayton Parslow, Newton Longville, Newton Leys and Great Brickhill.  If you live in one of these villages you will be affected in some way.

If you live further away, don’t relax. It is proven that once one wind farm goes up in an area, many more follow. For example, since the first one was built in nearby Cambridgeshire in 2005, there have been 27 wind farms either erected, approved, under construction or currently in for planning application in the county, totalling 115 turbines!

How might it affect me?

• By reducing the price of your house, if you can sell it at all

• By damaging your health via sleep disturbance caused by noise and low-frequency vibration causing migraines and palpitations

• By causing stress and irritation from the shadow flicker caused by the sun passing behind the turning blades.

• By putting you and your family at risk of turbine blade fracture and ice thrown from the blades in winter.

• By spoiling your view of the countryside and taking away your rights to enjoy the amenities on your doorstep.

But won’t these turbines help save the planet?

The contribution to our renewable energy needs made by this wind farm will be tiny. This area has wind speeds lower than national average. There are other areas where the same wind farm would produce more energy, make a greater contribution and minimise the over-proliferation of wind turbines around the UK.

But why do it then?

Because the subsidies are so great that the true commercial viability of the project isn’t a matter for consideration. And because the developers have managed to tempt 3 local land owners with very lucrative rental premiums to let them put turbines on their land. It’s really that simple and that opportunistic!

What can I do about it?

• Read this website

• Become a supporter of the SDLT Action Group

• Make a donation to the high cost of fighting the proposal.

• Write a strong letter of objection.

Quote from Benny Peiser of the Global Warming Policy Foundation:

The public backlash against wind farms in not surprising. It is the inevitable and inexorable consequence of a costly, unpopular and completely pointless policy that is butchering Britain’s green and pleasant landscape without having any effect on the climate. The green projects are only viable because of the multi-million pound subsidies supporting a few hundred wealthy landowners and a handful of energy companies. By opposing wind farms, a growing number of neighbourhoods and communities are protecting both their local environments and their purses from blind exploitation

Daily Mail 11th July 2011

Quote from Barara Frey & Peter Haddin (University of Minnesota):

Although the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood, when wind turbines are built near homes, it is undenyable that their noise causes a constellation of unwelcome effects, with varying degrees, on health, sleep, and health quality of life

Report on Wind Turbines and Proximity to Homes December 2011

Quote from British physician Dr Christopher Hanning:

It is concluded that there is compelling evidence that wind turbine noise can and does disturb sleep and impair the health of those living too close and that current guidance is inadequate protection. It is [also] concluded that the occupants of properties sited within 1.5km of turbines will suffer unacceptable levels of sleep disturbance and potential risk to their health.

Report on Wind Turbine Noise, Sleep and Health April 2010