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Minutes of the Development Forum concerning the Luscombe Cross wind turbine proposalThe report from this meeting on the 18th April 2012, prepared by South Hams District Council is a pdf file, published 11 May 2012. Harberton cricket pavilion on the move Last month, the Club was presented with a cheque by Sport England for over £46K, as part of the Olympic and Paralympic Legacy funding, to re-build its pavilion. Two weeks later, after months of negotiating contracts and planning, the much-anticipated start of the Club’s pavilion build began at Stonehills, high up on the edge of the village, as 14 club members gathered to move the old ramshackle clubhouse to its new temporary position at the side of the cricket field. It will retain its role during the new season, while the new pavilion is being built, before being dismantled at the end of the year. Francesca Smith, 10 April 2012 Excursion to Delabole wind farmby Tim Padfield, 3 March 2012 TRESOC/Infinergy invited people from Harberton, Harbertonford and Totnes to experience the sight and sound of the wind farm at Delabole, Cornwall, which has very similar turbines to those proposed for Luscombe Cross. It was an ideal day for evaluating the environmental impact of the wind farm. The sun shone, the wind blew. The turbines were delivering full power (2.3 MW each) and presumably close to their maximum noise. Under the blades one could easily hold a conversation but not so easily keep warm.  Marlies Koutstaal and Matt Russell, in yellow jackets, explain the working of the wind farm The mechanical noise was scarcely audible at 100 m from the turbine but the noise from the blade tips carried much further - to about 500 m downwind, though a much shorter distance upwind. The sound is periodic, seemingly being thrown off each blade tip as it points towards one. But as one moves away, the sound from the three blades, and the neighbouring turbine, merges into a steadier shhh... The scale of the turbine is shown in the picture below, which has a person silhouetted against the base of the tower.  To my eyes, the turbines are the most elegant and imposing man made constructions in this rather depressed area of Cornwall. Their simple streamlined form impresses, just as the few remaining windmills of the pre- fossil fuel era impress with their construction directly shaped by their function. The sun shone through the rotating blades giving long swiftly moving shadows over the grassy meadow.  This did not disturb me, as a tourist, though I can believe it could confuse a ploughman trying to cut a straight furrow. There is room for the ploughman to furrow close under the blades. The picture below shows the foot of the turbine. When, in 50 or 150 years time, engineers have worked out how to tame nuclear fusion, these turbines can be removed easily, with just a handful taken over by the National Trust to show how we used to make electricity when exhaustion of fossil fuel sources forced us to turn again to the wind for energy.  On the return journey we stopped at the side of a road about a mile downwind from the turbines. We could not hear them, even in the rare intervals free of traffic noise.  About six people joined the coach in Harbertonford, the remainder of the 24 passengers boarding in Totnes. To read, and maybe write comments on the wind farm proposal see the opinions page. Totnes community wind farmIan Bright, Managing director of TRESOC writes, 17 January 2011 I write on behalf of TRESOC and Infinergy, our partners in the proposed Totnes Community Wind Farm, regarding financial benefits to the local community from the operation of wind turbines at Luscombe Cross. The Totnes Community Wind Farm (TCWF) is a unique community/developer partnership which brings the opportunity for equity investment in a local windfarm with the prospect of a healthy annual return to all residents of Totnes and 15 surrounding parishes in the South Hams. In the event that planning consent is granted, TRESOC will seek to raise up to 49% of the equity investment for installation and commissioning of the wind turbines, from large and small local investors. In addition to this substantial financial benefit to the wider community, TRESOC and Infinergy also feel that it would be appropriate to establish a Community Benefit Fund which would pay an annual sum from operational revenues to the local community where the wind farm is to be located. TCWF proposes to pay £2,000 per MW capacity installed, which for the 2 x 2.3 MW turbines proposed, equates to a total of £9,200 per year. The annual sum would be index linked. TCWF would prefer to make payment to Harberton Parish Council as a democratically elected body, properly constituted to administer funds on behalf of the community. Formal representation on the TCWF Community Benefit Fund will be made to the Parish Council in due course. Meanwhile, TRESOC would like to hear views from the local community on the proposed TCWF Community Benefit Fund. As Harberton and Harbertonford are in close proximity to the site, it seems fair that the annual payment from the TCWF Community Benefit Fund should be shared between the villages. We welcome constructive comments from Harberton and Harbertonford residents by email to communityfund@tresoc.co.uk, or by letter to TCWF Community Fund, TRESOC, 107 High Street, Totnes, TQ9 5SN. Please give your name and address if you wish your communication to be acknowledged. We look forward to hearing from you! [Editor: you may also comment on the wind turbines page on this website. You may also choose to copy your comment to the parish clerk: clerk@harbertonpc.plus.com ] Better safety is promised on the A381 between Totnes and HalwellTim Padfield reports, 25 January 2012 Devon County Council Highways department has designated the A381 between Totnes and Halwell as needing a "Casualty Severity Reduction Scheme". At the December meeting of the council it approved spending £33,000 on signing and lining the road. The detailed changes are not described. The accident statistics of the road are described in the pdf document linked from the Council Minutes: |