If we really want to tackle some of the biggest environmental problems we face we need to look at where our energy comes from. We can no longer continue to burn fossil fuels at the current rate. Colchester & NE Essex FoE have been active in gathering support for both the Bradwell and Earls Hall Farm Wind Farm proposals.

With Essex a long way from meeting its renewable energy targets, Clacton-on-Sea is the latest area to be identified by one of the leading wind energy companies keen to help secure the area's future energy supply, whilst helping to tackle climate change.

Npower Renewables is looking at a site at Earls Hall Farm for a 5 turbine scheme which, if built, could provide enough electricity for the average annual needs of between 5,500 and 6,000 homes.

Investigations have taken place into the suitability of the site and an application for planning permission was submitted last Spring. A date to go to Tendring District Council Planning Committee has not been set yet but it could be heard on 25th March or at a later meeting on a three-week cycle.

Project Manager Vicky Portwain said, "Although a relatively small wind farm, this scheme can make a valuable contribution towards the ongoing battle against climate change due to its windy location and the efficiency of modern wind turbines. The 5 turbines would offset the release of between 22,000 and 26,900 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide. To put that into perspective that's the equivalent of removing between 7,160 and 8,762 cars off the roads of Essex."

She added, "This is one of the few potential sites in Essex suitable for a wind farm scheme of this scale which would contribute significantly towards both local, regional and national targets and objectives for renewable energy and reduction in CO₂."

The proposed development has been welcomed by Paula Whitney, Co-ordinator of Colchester & NE Essex Friends of the Earth who said, "Essex is particularly susceptible to flooding and other severe weather effects because of climate change. A report from Oxford University blows away the myth that wind is intermittent. A study lasting over thirty years across the whole of Britain, showed Britain has wind power which is available all year round and when electricity is needed most.

The Eastern Region has set a target of 10% renewable energy by 2010 and these five wind turbines would provide enough electricity to meet the average needs of the whole of St Osyth and Brightlingsea."

Paula Whitney and Val Mainwood, spokesperson for BRARE (BRAdwell for Renewable Energy), went on a site visit with Vicky Portwain of npower-renewables to Earls Hall Farm in autumn 2006, and both thought it was a suitable site.

In January 2007 four of our members went on a coach trip to see eight similar turbines at Deeping St Nicholas in Lincolnshire. We were impressed with the wind farm and in particular noted how quiet the turbines were - 'a gentle hum' was how one of the members described it.

After the application was lodged in early 2007, Colchester FoE helped raise many letters of support at stalls at local fairs. The nationally-orchestrated anti-windpower people got into full swing and whipped up strong local opposition with many hundreds of letters of objection. However, we believe even more letters of support have been lodged.

However, we discovered in October 2007 that Essex Wildlife Trust (EWT) had written objecting to the siting of one of the turbines which is in the vicinity of Hartley Wood. It is 70m from the woodland and EWT believe this turbine should be resited to a position at 180m distance as shown in a previous plan. They are concerned about the hazard to bats present in the woodland. However, Natural England has not objected and does not share their concern. EWT supports the windfarm and the five turbines in principle.

Because of this objection the Co-ordinator had a whole-day site visit in mid-November with Cath Stevenson of npower-renewables, looking at the site and maps and discussing the potential for resiting the fifth turbine. We were given a map with more detail showing the three wide restrictive buffer strips crossing the site - the line of local grid pylons, a gas pipeline and a Vodafone link set distance. This limits the resiting of the fifth turbine to one spot south of the line of local pylons.

Three members of CFoE - Hildegard Hill, Tim Morris and Paula Whitney - had a subsequent unaccompanied site visit and agreed we would support the resiting of the turbine south of the pylons as our preferred choice.

However, if this were not possible, we would accept the micro-siting which has been suggested by npower-renewables to 90m away from the woodland, but still to the north of the line of local pylons. This was also supported by the members at a group meeting. We all strongly support having five turbines on Earls Hall Farm.

Tim and Paula took our Regional Campaign Co-ordinator, Mary Edwards, on an unaccompanied tour of the Earls Hall Farm site in January 2008. Mary supported our stance and we all agreed that these turbines would be a very good way to help in the local fight to combat climate change - with clean renewable electricity from this windfarm providing the equivalent current electricity needs of the whole of Brightlingsea and St Osyth villages.

This application may be turned down by Tendring councillors because of the hostile local anti-wind group, and it would hopefully go to a public inquiry. We believe an independent Inspector will look at the issues and it would be up to him to require resiting or micro-siting of the turbine at the inquiry.

Update: The Earls Hall windfarm application will be decided by Tendring District Council at a special meeting on 19th June at 7pm, at the Princes Theatre, Clacton. Anyone can attend - please come and support it if you can.

'Wind farms just a huge stealth tax' letter response (.PDF)

Letter to Clacton Gazette regarding Earls Hall Windfarm, 'Eco-warrior bites back'
-- 12/11/07 (.DOC)

Take Action on Earls Hall

In July 2006 Maldon District Council refused a planning application submitted by npower renewables for a wind farm on farm land south of Bradwell-on-Sea.

After an intervention by CFoE, the leader of Colchester Borough Council, Cllr Robert Davidson, reversed a planning officer's previous letter of opposition to the Bradwell windfarm, and sent a strong letter of support from Colchester council.

A planning inquiry has been held, and the inspector approved the windfarm. However, the objectors lodged a challenge which is ongoing at the moment.

Project Manager Vicky Portwain said, "The importance of the fight to tackle climate change has to take precedence when making these key decisions and with Essex still not accommodating any wind farms there is a great urgency to take action. We remain of the opinion that our plans are for a well designed wind farm that can put Essex firmly on the renewable energy map and would make a valuable contribution, not only to the UK's efforts to tackle climate change, but also to provide green energy to those living in the vicinity of the wind farm."

If constructed the wind farm could produce enough green power to meet the average annual electricity needs of between 8,100 and 10,600 homes, making an important contribution to both local and national renewable energy targets. This would be the equivalent of a third of Maldon district's homes

Take Action on Bradwell

Colchester FoE, and in particular certain members, were heavily involved in years of campaigning for the closure of Bradwell Nuclear Power Station, which closed in 2004; then, in the national Magnox Decommissioning Dialogue process, campaigning with others for the safe early decommissioning of all Magnox nuclear stations to greenfield site status. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) was set up and recommended 25 year decommissioning instead of 100+ years.

With other local campaigners we strongly opposed the incineration of low level radioactive oils, solvents and scintillants upwind of Mersea Island just across the Blackwater estuary. We delayed this for years and then after they had only incinerated a small amount they finally agreed to take it off the site for disposal.

On March 7th 2007, the East Anglian Daily Times headlined with the lead story 'Nuclear Future? New Reactor Fear: Protestors vow to fight as British Energy buys land'. This story reveals that land has been purchased adjacent to the existing nuclear power station currently being decommissioned, with a view to building a new nuclear power station.

Colchester FoE's Co-ordinator, Paula Whitney, is quoted as saying that "residents would fight against any new proposals for a new nuclear plant at Bradwell" adding "The site is hugely threatened by a rise in sea levels, it is very vulnerable to flooding and it is on an earthquake fault line. The island is very antagonistic about it. We are downwind of the site, and if anything happened we could not escape. There is a very good fighting force here from different parts of the community - we are very strong and we will fight it".

Press Release 'Government's go-ahead ... is economic and environmental madness'
-- 10/01/08 (.DOC)

Press Release 'Government to give nuclear decision' (National FoE) -- 07/01/08 (.DOC)

Nuclear power article on front page of Essex Chronicle -- 29/11/07 (.PDF)