August 27, 2011
England

Wind turbine plans unveiled in the Forest

The Citizen, www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk 27 August 2011

Coleford could be set for an £11,000-a-year boost courtesy of a proposed new wind mast.

Baker-turned-entrepreneur Ronald Kear is set to unveil plans for an 86-metre high turbine at Poolway Farm to power 670 homes.

He’s holding public consultations on the scheme in September in a bid to win over residents, some of who are concerned about the turbine’s impact.

But he said his masterplan will be to the benefit of the community.

“We’re planning, four times a year, on giving £1 for every megawatt the turbine generates back to Coleford,” Mr Kear said.

“We think that will be about £2,800, four times a year.”

He added: “I can understand why people might have concerns but we are using the quietest turbine available.

“It’s actually going to be sited in a dip in fields on the farm and only 12 per cent of people within a five kilometre radius will be able to see any part of it.”

His plan is to give neighbouring Great Oaks Hospice two of the £2,800 pots each year and leave the other two to the discretion of Coleford Town Council, but possibly with conditions attached.

That could include that it must be used for the benefit of people in the GL16 post code and some may be ring-fenced for educational purposes.

More than 6,000 homes in the town will be leafleted with details of the plans soon.

Public consultations, including question and answer sessions, are being held at Forest Hills Golf Club on September 24 and Mr Kear will also give a short presentation at Coleford Town Council’s next meeting, on Tuesday from 7pm.

Town councillor Eileen Elsmore lives a few hundred yards from where it is proposed the turbine will site.

“There’s a bit of concern around here because we don’t know an awful lot about it at the moment,” she said.

“We shall have to wait until the public sessions to find out a bit more.

“We want to know where on the farm they are putting it because that will make a lot of difference.

“It’s a bit of a NIMBY thing I suppose, people are a bit worried about it being right be their homes.”

A planning application still needs to be submitted and it could take three or more years before the turbine is built.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/08/27/wind-turbine-plans-unveiled-in-the-forest/