filed: September 3, 2010 • England

Ecotricity still plan to build Alveston wind farm

Credit: By Liza-Jane Gillespie, Gazette, www.gazetteseries.co.uk 3 September 2010 ~~

Green energy firm Ecotricity has said it is still going ahead with plans to build a wind farm on land in Alveston.

Ecotricity has given the assurances after rumours had started to circulate locally that the company was about to submit a new planning application for the farm.

According to the rumours wind performance on the site was not as good as first thought and Ecotricity were considering applying for new planning consent to move the wind turbines to a different location.

However, the company has this week denied there is any problem with the existing consent.

Mike Cheshire, spokesperson for the company, said: “Ecotricity is continuing to carry out detailed ongoing ground studies at the Alveston site. We will ensure we continue to keep local people fully informed with major developments as we progress.

“The original planning permission for our wind park at Alveston is still current for another 12 months or so. We are continuing to work to progress this and have no plans at present to submit a new application.”

The Stroud-based firm was granted planning permission by South Gloucestershire Council to build three 100-metre high wind turbines, on land off Old Gloucester Road in Alveston, in December 2008.

Since permission was granted the company has installed a wind monitoring mast on the site for 18 months to collect data about wind speeds. The monitoring mast was removed earlier this summer.

When the turbines are built they will be the first wind farm in South Gloucestershire.

The three wind turbines are expected to generate up to16.75 GWh a year, enough electricity for 5,000 homes, which equates to five per cent of the homes in South Gloucestershire.

People living near to the wind farm have never supported the project. More than 300 people signed a petition against the proposals two years ago.

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