Stoke Heights, Milton Keynes
Scoping Opinion submitted
We are in the initial stages of a putting together a planning application to build a wind park near the village of Stoke Goldington, to the north west of Milton Keynes.
At this stage, we can't be definite on how many turbines and what size they will be.
We are waiting on a response from the council, but we think this site could power over 26,000 local homes.
We have submitted what’s known as a Scoping Opinion to Milton Keynes council. The request for a Scoping Opinion is the first stage in assessing the development potential of any site. It will detail the views of bodies such as the Ministry of Defence and English Nature - basically letting us know what we should look at if we go ahead with a planning application.
If this proposal was to progress any further we would undertake a comprehensive public consultation programme.
Read the latest news for this wind park.
Vital statistics
Site address - Near Stoke Goldington, Milton Keynes
Planning Since - 04 Feb 2009
Turbines - tbc
Hub height - 79m
Rotor diameter - tbc
Capacity - tbc
Green electricity per year -
tbc
Equivalent homes - tbc
CO2 savings - tbc
03 March 2010
After over a year in the planning system, our application to temporarily install a wind mast at the site has finally been approved by a Planning Inspector. Remember this was an application for the mast to be on the site for a period of just eighteen months. Had Milton Keynes Council followed Government guidelines, the mast would already be scheduled to come down in about six months time anyway, our project would be much closer to making a positive contribution to carbon emission reduction, and everyone would have saved a significant amount of time and effort. However, we are where we are and we’re satisfied with the eventual outcome.
The Inspector found that the mast would have no risk to aviation safety as had been alleged by the Council and local aviation interests, and that in any event, a minor restriction on the recreational interests of a couple of landowners with a helipad and their own runway shouldn’t stand in the way of a renewable energy development which would have benefits to the wider community and the UK as a whole. So common sense prevailed and we hope that in light of the Inspector’s findings, our proposals for wind turbines on the site will be considered positively and dispassionately as Government guidance says they should.
If anyone in the local or wider community has any queries about our wind park proposal or would like any further information, please feel free to contact us by email at stokeheights@ecotricity.co.uk or phone on (01453) 760674. You can also write to us at:
Stoke Heights Wind Park,
Planning Department,
Ecotricity
Axiom House
Station Road
Stroud
Gloucestershire
GL5 3AP
21 August 2009
The MK Planning Committee came to a decision on the temporary 70m Mast last night; unfortunately the decision was to refuse the application on the grounds of air safety.
Although the application for the mast is going to appeal, the purpose of last night’s committee was to see what decision the committee would have made without the appeal.
Regrettably the decision was for refusal, although it was quite close with 3 against, 2 for and 1 member abstaining from the vote.
The committee made the decision to refuse on aviation grounds despite the fact that their own council had appointed an independent aviation expert who concluded “a minimal effect on the woodland lodge helipad and a minor effect on the Littlewood airstrip, neither which should preclude the erection of the temporary mast.”
The final outcome of the mast application will now be decided by the Planning Inspectorate through the appeal process.
If you have any questions, concerns or support for the project, please contact us:
Email:
stokeheights@ecotricity.co.uk
Phone: 01453 756111
Address: Stoke Heights Wind Park,
Planning Department,
Axiom House
Station Road
Stroud
Gloucestershire
GL5 3AP
29 July 2009
We have decided to take the wind mast application to “non determination”. The Council should have made a decision on the 18th March 2009, almost 5 months ago. This takes the decision out of the hands of the local authority and the decision will be made by the Planning Inspectorate.
26 June 2009
Disappointingly the Stoke Heights Mast Application was deferred for a second time at Committee last night.
Despite receiving another Planning Officer recommendation for approval and advice from the council’s legal team to approve the application, the decision on the temporary anemometry mast, to monitor wind speeds on the site, will be completed once the Committee has received further independent advice from the Civil Aviation Authority. The CAA have already been consulted and have not objected but the Committee require more information from the independent aviation body.
If you have any questions, concerns or support for the project, please contact us:
Email: stokeheights@ecotricity.co.uk
Phone: 01453 756111
Address:
Stoke Heights,
Planning,
Axiom House,
Station Road,
Stroud,
GL5 3AP
22 May 2009
Unfortunately the Stoke Heights Mast Application was deferred at Committee last night.
Despite receiving a Planning Officer recommendation for approval, the decision on the temporary anemometry mast, to monitor wind speeds on the site, will be completed once the Committee has completed their Site Visit.
If you have any questions, concerns or support for the project, please contact us:
Email: stokeheights@ecotricity.co.uk
Phone: 01453 756111
Address:
Stoke Heights Wind Park,
Planning Department,
Axiom House
Station Road
Stroud
Gloucestershire
GL5 3AP
03 April 2009
It's always nice to get some local support, this is what Dr Caroline Lucas MEP had to say about our plans for Stoke Heights.
"Climate change requires urgent and radical action, including massive investment in renewable energy. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by generating electricity from the wind, for example, is also a way to create long term, secure jobs in our region, so I am happy to back this proposal for a wind farm in the South East."
