November 18, 2010
England

Is this the precursor to a massive wind farm in the Tove Valley

Author: James Rudd, www.aboutmyarea.co.uk 18 November 2010

Towcester’s Tove Valley one of South Northant’s treasures that flows through Towcester and past Easton Neston has had an Anemometry Mast erected.

The anemometry mast to measure wind speeds in the Tove Valley for a possible wind farm has now been erected.

It can be seen clearly from the village of Alderton and the A5 between Heathencote and Paulerspury, it can also be seen from the A508 near the tourist village of Stoke Bruerne.

Although a very slender structure, the mast is 70m high and is significantly higher than the adjacent pylons. (See picture above).

If the results obtained from the mast were to go forward to a planning application for a wind farm and be approved AboutMyArea/NN12 understands from the energy company (Gamesa Energy UK) that the wind turbines will be at least 120m high due to the valley floor location.

This is almost twice the height of the mast that has been erected and they will also be much more substantial than the mast.

It is worth a look at the mast whilst it is there, to visualise the likely impact of the turbines with their increased height and bulk.

Local parishes have been told by the company that there will be at least 4 turbines in the valley location.

The company erecting the mast Gamesa Energy, have informed local parishes that wind speed measurements will take place over the next 6-12 months before any decision is made whether or not to submit a wind farm planning application.

Based on similar applications in the South Northants an application is likely.

A worrying footnote as the Editor went out to take the pictures for this article he came across a horse galloping along a bridleway without a rider. He then came across one of the riders and helped them recover the horse, it would seem that this horse was spooked near the Tove River bridge – this may well be a coincidence, but I doubt it.

Later he bumped into a local villager who commented on the red light on top of the mast, that the MOD insisted on because of the amount of low flying aircraft and helicopters in the area.

The red light is the only light in the conservation area and is very visible – if this goes forward to be a massive alien looking windfarm there will be many more lights not to mention massive 120m high turbines.

Andrea Leadsom MP for South Northants commented:

“Chris Heaton-Harris and a group of other MPs (including me) put our names to a 10 minute rule bill today calling on the government to allow local authorities to set ‘minimum distances’ from settlements for wind farms.

“In itself, the bill doesn’t go anywhere, but it is part of a concerted effort that a small group of us are starting to try and include wind farms in the whole ‘localism’ debate.

“The Localism Bill gets its first reading on Monday, and I will be tabling an amendment on behalf of our group that proposes wind farm planning should be included in proposals for local consultation and ‘bottom up’ planning.`’

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/11/18/is-this-the-precursor-to-a-massive-wind-farm-in-the-tove-valley/