Trying to get at the facts

Peter Gardner has sent a number of useful links on wind energy and some of the concerns. I haven't had a chance to digest them but here, for a start, is a document we should obviously be looking at: the Milton Keynes Council Wind Turbines Planning Applications January 2012 Draft Wind Turbines Supplementary Planning Document and Emerging Policy

Central Beds is currently developing its own guidance note on wind energy. The biggest problem is lack of consistent, up-to-date benchmarks


The Milton Keynes document states:

This draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and emerging policy has been produced as 
a result of a resolution made at the Development Control Committee meeting on 13 October 
2011. The additional guidance is considered necessary due to an increase in the number of 
submitted and anticipated wind farm applications as well as the increase in the scale of wind 
turbines since policy D5 of the Local Plan (2005) was written.  
 
The issue was first raised by parish councillors, who requested that a review of the Local Plan 
policy D5, Renewable Energy, be undertaken, primarily with the view that the specified 350m 
minimum separation distance for wind turbines be increased. A review was requested because 
the size of wind turbines has increased significantly since publication of local and national 
policy. At the Development Control Committee meeting on 13 October, a range of concerns 
were raised and reasons given for the desire for an increased minimum separation distance. 
The primary planning related concerns raised were residential amenity, noise, health and 
safety.