Windbyte - Wind farms in North East England, the Scottish Borders and Lothians

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With links to groups we have tried to sort links alphabetically by the geographical name of the proposal, but occasionally sort by group name or acronym, especially when it covers several proposals.

Northumberland & Borders Public Inquiries.

Broadmeadows appeal - Appeal announced.
Aikengall II/Wester Dod - Section 36 Application to the Scottish Government.
Earlshaugh - Section 36 Application to the Scottish Government. Objection from SBC.
Rowantree PI - Section 36 Application to the Scottish Government. The Reporter was forced to postpone the hearing until next year at a procedure meeting after the developers failed to advertise important information (see press report).
PI now scheduled to start on 5 March, 2012 at the Carfraemill Hotel, Oxton. Legal decision on competence of application will be given by the Reporter on October 3rd, submissions on this still ongoing.

Wind News.

Industrial Wind Action (IWA).
“Industrial Wind Action™, was formed to counteract the misleading information promulgated by the wind energy industry and various environmental groups. Support for this effort comes from a large and diversified group of environmentalists, energy experts, and ordinary citizens.”
US organisation with excellent international coverage of news stories that is updated daily. Gallery. Library of research papers and important articles.

National Wind Watch (UK news filter).
“A nonprofit organization that promotes awareness of the negative impacts of industrial wind energy development on our environment, economy, and quality of life.” Precursor of IWA, National Wind Watch is a US organisation with wider links, including international news coverage.

BusinessGreen (News page).
Guardian-backed renewables site, highly selective, pro-Green coverage.

European Energy Review.
“European Energy Review is published by Castel International Publishers in Groningen. It is fully independent and supported by an editorial board and an advisory board consisting of prominent energy professionals.”

New Energy Focus (Wind stories page).
“Daily news service covering renewable energy in the UK.”

Warmwell
A digest of significant wind stories on Mary Critchley’s Warmwell site.

Wind Power Monthly
Wind industry news, some articles require a subscription.

Maps and Data Resources - NE England & SE Scotland:

Scottish Borders Council, Windfarm Database.
The SBC Planning Department maintains a database of wind farm proposals in the Scottish Borders. It includes information on planning applications, Section 36 applications and sites that have had screening and scoping opinions issued. This list is downloadable and a separate downloadable map shows locations and most site footprints.

Ayrshire Joint Planning Steering Group (AJPSG): Windfarm Mapping Application.
Useful interactive mapping application which shows the site footprint of proposed and operational wind turbine arrays across the south of Scotland.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). ‘Windfarms in Scotland’ (latest edition: February, 2011).
Very useful maps which list arrays that show the site footprint of installed, approved and scoped projects.

Northumberland and Newcastle Society
‘Summary of proposals for sites in Northumberland’. A locations map can be downloaded from the Summary page.

REF - Energy data.
Very useful and easy to use databases of large and small generators, with installed capacities, outputs, load factors etc. Fully searchable.

RESTATS
‘Renewable Energy STATisticS database.’ From DECC.
Site now resurrected, but still out of date and showing errors.

Digest of United Kingdom energy statistics (DUKES)
From DECC. Tables, charts and commentary with separate sections on coal, petroleum, gas, electricity, combined heat and power and renewables; a comprehensive picture of energy production and use over the last five years, with key series taken back to 1970.

Energy Trends
From DECC. “‘Energy trends’ is a quarterly bulletin containing statistics on energy in the United Kingdom. It includes tables, charts and commentary, covering all major aspects of energy, to give a comprehensive picture of energy production and use”.

REnewableUK (wind industry lobby body formerly known as the British Wind Energy Association). ‘UK Wind Energy Database’.
Highly variable accuracy. Their ‘Dynamic Map - Wind farms in the UK’ is very inaccurate.

Some organisations and reference sources

ABS Energy Research - ‘The Wind Power Report’ (August, 2006).
“The Wind Power Report is the most important we have produced to date; providing the most comprehensive study of the wind power market today.”(PDF summary; full report costs £830!).

Adam Smith Institute. ‘Renewable energy: Vision or mirage?’, 12 December 2011, by Hugh Sharman, Bryan Leyland & Martin Livermore.
“The government is spending enormous sums of money on renewable energy. This report assesses the economic and energy security cases for renewable energy subsidies, and finds that there is no prospect that renewable energy will be able to provide a substantial amount of Britain's energy needs.”

‘The Visual Issue’ - Architech Animation Studios (UK) Ltd. (April, 2007).
“For over a decade, windfarm visualisations have been the subject of controversy. Many communities across Scotland believe that the photomontages presented in the Environmental Statements are misleading and do not provide an accurate prediction of visual impact.
This paper endeavours to lift the veil of technical complexity to give you the facts behind the issue and the new SNH guidance” [SNH guidance also informs ES work in England & Wales]. Available as PDF download from site.

‘Wind Power Variations are exported’ [Denmark] - Paul-Frederik Bach. (March, 2010).
Paper on the correlation between Danish wind power production and electricity exports from that country (PDF file). (See also: CEPOS Report and Kent Hawkins blog, below).

Wind turbine accident data from Caithness Windfarm Information Forum.
Though wind turbines are better known for killing birds and bats than humans, there are many more accidents than the industry admits to.

Centre for Policy Studies - Lodge, Tony. ‘Wind Chill, Why wind energy will not fill the UK’s energy gap’, June 2008. (PDF download)

Center for Politiske Studier (CEPOS) - ‘Wind Energy, The Case of Denmark’, September 2009. (PDF download)

Centre for rural Economics, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne - DP 6, ‘Foot and Mouth - five Years On’.
Important paper on the failure of rural regeneration after FMD.(PDF download)

Country Guardian
Country Guardian “is the National Campaign to oppose wind turbines in Britain’s precious landscapes and promote energy conservation.”.

Country Land & Business Association (CLA) - ‘Renewable Energy - more than wind?’, 2005.

‘Climate change and energy’ - CPRE Campaigns.

‘Windfarms time to change direction?’ - CPRE Northamptonshire. A lucid and convincing summary of the reasons why CPRE nationally should oppose onshore industrial wind. (PDF download).

Council for Science and Technology Report on UK Electricity Supply. (May, 2005)
“The Council for Science and Technology (CST) is the UK government’s top-level advisory body on science and technology policy issues.”

Darmstadt Manifesto on the Exploitation of Wind Energy in Germany. (September, 1998)
Manifesto signed by large number of academics and intellectuals in Germany.

DECC - Digest of United Kingdom energy statistics (DUKES).

DECC - Energy Trends.

DECC - ‘Estimated impacts of energy and climate change policies on energy prices and bills’,(URN 10D/719) July 2010. (PDF download).
“Findings from CSE’s [Centre for Sustainable Energy] study form the basis of a recently released report from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) entitled Estimated impacts of energy and climate change policies on energy prices and bills.” Charity/pressure group that began life as Urban Centre for Appropriate Energy (UCAT), a sister organisation to the Centre for Alternative Energy.

Defra, ‘Noise Policy Statement for England (NPSE)’, March 2010. (PDF download).

Den Brook Wind Farm Judicial Review. (March, 2008)
Renewable Energy Systems (RES) had been given approval to build nine 400 ft high wind turbines in mid-Devon’s Den Brook Valley. Planning permission was originally refused by the local Council, but was overturned on appeal.
A challenge was successfully made to the decision of the Inspector. The Secretary of State quashed the unlawful planning permission and the application went back to the Planning Inspectorate.
The SoS conceded the Den Brook Team’s appeal on the noise grounds alone but the Court granted permission to appeal on the other ground, namely that the planning inspector, as part of the overall planning balance, must consider the actual likely electricity contribution of the particular site.

DimWatt.eu
“DimWatt is a campaigning web site dedicated to keeping the lights on affordably, maintaining mobility and the UK’s position as a manufacturing power in a fast-changing world. We hope to bring together utility management personnel, academics, politicians, civil servants, professionals and concerned citizens who are committed to rational discussion and debate on the challenges facing UK's energy infrastructure today.”

DTI/HMG ‘The Energy Challenge’, (July, 2006)
Government Energy Review report. Announced new nuclear programme and DTI’s preferred option of banding the widely criticised Renewables Obligation. [PDF File]

‘E.ON Netz Wind Report, 2005’ [PDF Download or order]
E.ON Netz GmbH is responsible for the electricity transport grid of the E.ON Group in Germany. It has over 40% of German wind power capacity in its area, with 7,050 MW of installed wind power; it is one of the largest electricity grid operators in Europe.

‘The Case Against Wind Farms’ (2006 edition), by Dr John Etherington, Emeritus Reader in Ecology at the University of Wales, Cardiff.
“Since his retirement from the University in 1990, he has devoted himself to researching the implications of intermittently available renewable electricity generation, in particular wind power. He is a Thomas Huxley Medallist at the Royal College of Science and a former co-editor of the International Journal of Ecology.” (PDF download from Country Guardian website).

‘The Wind Farm Scam’, by Dr John Etherington.
Best-selling 300 page paperback provides a well argued case against large scale wind power generation. Can be ordered directly from the publisher (click here).
The publishers offer bulk discounts to groups and individuals.

Professor Ian Fells and Candida Whitmill, Fells Associates. ‘A Pragmatic Energy Policy for the UK’, August 2008.
“This report addresses the failings that have led to a fundamental undermining of the UK’s security of supply and serves to heighten the sense of urgency about the growing energy gap..” (PDF file).

FELLS. ‘A REBUTTAL FOR SEEKERS OF THE TRUTH of the British Wind Energy Association’s TOP MYTHS ABOUT WIND ENERGY’, June 2008.
“FELLS (Friends of Eden, Lakeland & Lunesdale Scenery) is a voluntary organisation founded in 2000 to help local groups protect the North West landscape from unwarranted industrial development, especially wind farms.”

FELLS. ‘Carbon Dioxide “Savings” from Wind Farms. (V7, June 2009) ’, June 2008.
“The basis on which the calculation of CO2 savings from a wind farm is made has changed over time. This note sets out the historical development and current practice.”

‘A guide to calculating the carbon dioxide debt and payback time for wind farms’. Dr M J Hall, FRSC, FIBiol. August 2006. Renewable Energy Foundation (REF).
Dr Mike Hall presents a detailed account of the various factors in the CO2 payback time for turbines, including calculations for peat degradation. (PDF download). - See also: Macauley Institute and Natural England report, below.

Kent Hawkins. ‘Peeling Away the Onion of Denmark Wind (Part I)’, 26 October, 2010. - Detailed examination of Denmark’s position in the Scandinavian/German energy market and analysis of how much of its wind energy is consumed domestically or exported.

Kent Hawkins. ‘Wind Integration: Incremental Emissions from Back-Up Generation Cycling (Part I: A Framework and Calculator)’, 13 November, 2009. - “This analysis finds that natural gas used as wind back-up in place of baseload or intermediate gas (in the absence of wind) results in approximately the same gas burn and an increase in related emissions, including CO2. Extrapolating from this example to the whole, the working hypothesis is that intermittent wind (and solar) are not effective CO2 mitigation strategies because of inefficiencies introduced by fast-ramping (inefficient) operation of gas turbines for firming otherwise intermittent and thus non-usable power.”

Highland Council, ‘Visualisation Standards for Wind Energy Developments’, January 2010 ‘.
“These standards have been produced to enable the Council to verify that photomontages submitted in support of planning applications and contained with Environmental Statements are accurate and clearly understood depictions of proposals so that the public and decision makers can make informed opinions and decisions.”
Addresses many of the problems identified with SNH guidelines.

House of Commons Library, ‘Wind Farms – Distance from Housing’ - Research briefings, Standard Note: SN/SC/5221, 8 January 2010. (PDF file).

House of Commons Library, ‘Consents for Wind Farms – Onshore’ - Research briefings, Standard Note: SN/SC/4370, 9 March 2010. (PDF file).

House of Commons Library, ‘Wind power – overview and update’ - Research briefings, Standard Note: SN/SC/3276, 5 September 2006 (addition 3 December 2007). (PDF file).

Industrial Wind Action - Informative US site with excellent foreign news coverage that can be filtered by country.
“Industrial Wind Action was formed to counteract the misleading information promulgated by the wind energy industry and various environmental groups. Support for this effort comes from a large and diversified group of environmentalists, energy experts, and ordinary citizens.”.

Institute for Science, Innovation and Society, University of Oxford (LSE Mackinder Programme for the Study of Long Wave Events), ‘How to get climate policy back on course.’, 6 July 2009.

Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), ‘State of the Nation - Infrastructure 2010.’
“ICE is extremely concerned about the state of energy infrastructure, which puts at risk the well-being of our nation.”

Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), ‘Climate change - Have we Lost the Battle?’, November 2009.
“Even with our best intentions, the UK will not reach its 2050 emission target until 2100 or beyond unless we radically rethink the way in which we approach climate change policy.”

Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), ‘Scottish Energy 2020 - A target too far?’, November 2011.
Analysis undertaken in response to the Scottish Government’s declaration that by 2020, 20% of the total energy demand in Scotland would be met from renewable resources.

Professor Michael Jefferson, ‘A cool look at wind’s pretensions: Why exaggerated claims by the UK wind energy industry are increasingly backfiring, and some suggestions on what to do about them.’

John Muir Trust - The UK’s leading wild land conservation charity believes that, “industrial-scale wind developments, are a major threat to our rapidly diminishing wild land”.
JMT has launched a Wild Land Campaign which calls on the United Kingdom and Scottish Parliaments to provide greater protection for the last remaining areas of wild land.

Keele University - ‘Microseismic and Infrasound Monitoring of Low-frequency Noise and Vibration from Windfarms, Recommendations on the Siting of Windfarms in the Vicinity of Eskdalemuir, Scotland’, July 2005. (PDF downloadable from this site).

KWAG - Kentish Weald Action Group - William Hyde, DFH, C.ENG, Fellow IET and John Webley, Chairman, KWAG. ‘ When The Wind Stops’.
Interesting paper on levels of backup required for wind power generation.

Peter Lang, ‘Cost and Quantity of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Avoided by Wind Generation’, 16 February, 2009. Paper by an Australian power engineer (PDF file).

‘HARDtalk’: James Lovelock (BBC iPlayer)
Stephen Sackur talks to James Lovelock, the celebrated scientist and writer. Useful summary of his Gaia theory, views on climate change and thoughts on the utility of wind power.

Macauley Institute, ‘Calculating carbon savings from wind farms on Scottish peat lands - A New Approach’, June 2008.
There is some distrust of this report because of its sponsor and the fact that the Macaulay Institute’s commercial arm, Macaulay Enterprises, has a strong financial interest in wind development.

Mott MacDonald, ‘‘UK Electricity Generation Costs Update: A report by Mott MacDonald’’ (PDF download), May, 2011.
Levelised costings, commissioned by DECC. Omits back-up and grid costs.

David MacKay, ‘Sustainable Energy Without Hot Air’.
“For anyone with influence on energy policy, whether in government, business or a campaign group, this book should be compulsory reading. This is a technically precise and readable account of the challenges ahead.” (Tony Juniper Former Executive Director, Friends of the Earth (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland) and Vice Chair, Friends of the Earth International).
Prf. MacKay is a DECC advisor; has now come out as strongly in faour of new nuclear build.

Elizabeth Mann, ‘The Democratic Deficit’
Examines aspects of the political/planning background of the wind power business in North East England.

MMO - Marine Management Organisation
Marine planning portal.

Dr V.C. Mason, ‘Wind power in Denmark’, 2006.
“Almost a fifth of the electricity produced annually in Denmark is generated by wind, yet only about 6% of the country’s electricity demand is satisfied directly from this source. Possibly two-thirds of its wind power output cannot be used to satisfy domestic needs at the moment of generation, and has to be exported (often at reduced prices) to preserve the integrity of the grid. Savings in carbon emissions are minimal. Public opposition and reduced subsidies have halted the deployment of on-shore wind turbines for the time being, but political and commercial interests are pressing to integrate much larger amounts of wind power into radically altered domestic and international transmission systems..”

National Grid, ‘Seven Year Statement 2010’.
Detailed view of the electricity generating system and forecast of how NG sees future development. Essential reading.

National Grid, ‘Winter Consultation Report 2010/11. A review of winter 2009/10 and preliminary outlook for winter 2010/11.’.
Details problems with wind output at peak load in winter. Written prior to the failure of wind output in December, 2010.

National Grid, ‘Consultation: Operating in 2020’ - Consultation background and response documents.
“Since June 2008, as part of the Electricity Networks Strategy Group (ENSG), we have worked with other energy companies, Government and Ofgem to produce a vision of the network reinforcements required to meet the 2020 renewable energy target.”

National Grid, ‘Operating the Electricity Transmission Networks in 2020 Follow Up Report’, (PDF file).

National Trust
In their ‘A call for the wild’ campaign, NT used to state that: “the modest benefits of wind turbines must be carefully measured against their environmental and social costs.”
In a dramatic U-turn, the National Trust have now abandoned this policy and, like the RSPB, are selling the use of their name to one of the most predatory of onshore wind developers, RWE NPower, offering a so-called a ‘green’ electricity tariff [see recent Observer article].
Under this scheme NPower pay NT for every customer they sign up. This scheme is being sold on the basis of NPower’s very limited involvement in offshore wind and hydro, no mention of NPower’s many onshore wind projects, some of which actually threaten the setting of properties and landscapes held in trust by NT!

National Wind Watch
Informative US site with excellent foreign news coverage that can be filtered by country. “A nonprofit organization that promotes awareness of the negative impacts of industrial wind energy development on our environment, economy, and quality of life.
We receive no support from any industry or political interests. Our funding comes only from concerned individuals.”.

Natural England - ‘NE254 - Making space for renewable energy: assessing on-shore wind energy development.’

Natural England - ‘NE257 - England’s peatlands: carbon storage and greenhouse gases.’

Natural England - ‘NECR032 - Investigating the impacts of windfarm development on peatlands in England.’, 8 January 2010.

Newcastle International Airport - ‘Radar blanking strategy’, November 2010 (PDF download).

The Northumberland and Newcastle Society - 'For our future heritage'. The Society has made a real effort to assess and report on the Klondike wind rush in Northumberland: see its 'Summary of proposals for sites in Northumberland'.

Open Europe, ‘The EU Climate Action and Renewable Energy Package: Are we about to be locked into the wrong policy?’. October 2008. - “Open Europe has produced the first independent estimate of the cost of the CAREP.”

Oxford Energy Institute Comment on SDC Report. (May, 2005) - Malcolm Keay of OEI comments on the recent Sustainable Development Commission report on wind power generation. - "the report presents a distorted picture, exaggerating the benefits of wind power and underestimating the costs."

Parsons Brinckerhoff, ‘Powering the Future, Mapping our low carbon path to 2050’ (December 2009) - “Powering the Future is a comprehensive report by global engineering consultancy Parsons Brinckerhoff. It focuses on the implications of meeting the UK government’s carbon reduction targets for 2050 and highlights critical steps for tackling CO2 reduction.”

Policy Exchange - ‘2020 Hindsight: Does the renewable energy target help the UK decarbonise?’.
Report is highly critical of UK renewable energy policy which it sees as detracting from decarbonisation goals.

Proact International - Wind farms and birds.
“Proact is a non-political, independent and voluntary organisation committed to coordinating and monitoring support for selected environmental campaigns in Europe and its periphery; and ultimately, through our national and regional coordinators, worldwide. Our prime, but not exclusive concern, is the conservation of birds and their habitats.”

Pöyry Energy Consulting. ‘The challenges of intermittency in North West European power markets.’, March, 2011.

Royal Academy of Engineering, ‘Engineering a low-carbon built environment’ - “The UK will not be able to achieve its target of reducing carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 unless it urgently addresses carbon emissions from the built environment, ...” (1.46Mb PDF download).

Ramblers' Association - “We are not calling for a ‘ban’ on windfarms. Instead, we want government to change its policy so that power companies are encouraged to invest in a range of different technologies, and it simply becomes unnecessary to focus only on large-scale wind turbine construction”.

Renewable Energy Foundation (REF) - REF is a registered charity promoting sustainable development for the benefit of the public by means of energy conservation and the use of renewable energy. Supported by private donation it has no political affiliation or corporate membership. REF commissions reports to provide an independent and authoritative source of information on energy matters.

RSPB Policy on Wind Farms - Downloadable Brochure (PDF file). Sets out RSPB policy that was both ignored and contravened in the case of ‘Moorsyde’ and other applications (See Birds page). RSPB receives considerable amounts of money from the wind industry through its Green Energy deal with SSE.

Save the Eagles International (STEI) - International organisation run by Marcel Duchamp that campaigns against the slaughter of raptors and other birds by badly sited turbine arrays.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) , ‘Visual representation of windfarms, 2006’. - SNH guidelines are also referenced in English developments.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) , ‘Siting and designing windfarms in the landscape, Version 1, December 2009’. - SNH guidelines are also referenced in English developments.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) , ‘Assessing the impacts of windfarms on birds’.

Hugh Sharman, Incoteco (Denmark). ‘The Dash for Wind - West Denmark’s Experience and UK’s Energy Aspirations’, (PDF file)
Interesting examination of the Danish experience of large scale wind power by an energy consultant. Examines the implications of large scale wind power for the UK supply system.

The Scottish Wind Assessment Project - “An ongoing programme of research which seeks to collate existing studies and commission new research to promote a thorough investigation of the claims made for and against the use of wind-generated energy.”
Interesting reports on Scottish wind power build; the subsidy regime's effect on various alternative energy sectors and an analysis of some of the so-called surveys and polls (Scottish) relating to wind power.

Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) - ‘Wind Power in the UK’, 19 May, 2005 - Publically-funded govt. advisory group. This report is a wildly optimistic account of the potential for wind power generation and is invariably the report that the BWEA, FOE and Greenpeace reference, while never mentioning one of its conclusions that, "It would be unrealistic to assume that wind energy would displace any nuclear capacity,".(p35). Many of its claims, especially for output and backup, are now discredited both by real world evidence and by subsequent academic papers from less credulous sources. It is the subject of a critique by Malcolm Keay of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (PDF file).
To be axed by coalition govt.).

The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research - 'Ensuring new and renewable energy can meet electricity demand: security of decarbonised electricity systems' (Technical paper 30, 2005). - "The performed capacity adequacy studies for the mid-term future UK electricity scenarios clearly show that the capacity value of wind generation plant is limited. Analysis was carried out for a wide range of wind penetrations to examine the generating capacity of conventional plant that can be displaced by wind, while maintaining a specified security level. We observed that wind generation only displaces a relatively modest amount of conventional plant, which means that in order to maintain the same level of security, a significant capacity of conventional plant will still be required."

UK Energy Research Centre - The UK Energy Research Centre carries out world-class research into sustainable future energy systems. It is the hub of UK energy research and the gateway between the UK and the international energy research communities. Our interdisciplinary, whole systems research informs UK policy development and research strategy.

The Economics of Wind Power Generation

‘Tilting at Windmills: The economics of wind Power’ by Professor David Simpson, The David Hume Institute (Occasional Papers, 65), (April, 2004).
“This paper asks whether the economic analysis of this source of energy really justifies such a major role and whether alternative policy options should be considered.” [PDF file]

‘Debating the true cost of wind power electricity’European Process Engineer Magazine
“In a report published on 10 March [2006], the UK-based Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) reveals that electricity from offshore wind farms, currently the most viable renewable source, will cost at least twice as much as that from conventional sources.”

House of Lords, Select Committee on Economic Affairs, ‘The Economics of Climate Change’. (2nd Report of Session 2005-06).
“Given the wide array of potential technologies ... we are surprised that the Government’s Energy White Paper should place such emphasis on just one technology, wind energy.”

House of Lords, Economic Affairs Committee, ‘The Economics of Renewable Energy’, (HL Paper No. 195-I), 12 November 2008.

Mott Macdonald, ‘UK Electricity Generation Costs Update, 2010’ (Large PDF download).
Commissioned by DECC, levelised costs with major ommissions for wind, e.g. backup and distribution costs not included.

National Audit Office Report on Renewables by the Comptroller and Auditor General. (11 February, 2005).
“... the level of support provided by consumers is in excess of that needed by many onshore wind schemes.”

Non-Fossil Purchasing Agency Limited (NFPA) - Current auction prices for ROC’s.

Parsons Brinckerhoff, ‘Powering the Nation, 2010 Update’ (March 2010) - “The Powering the Nation report reflects recent major changes in the economy and in the power plant market. First issued in 2006 - and updated in 2008 - the report is used by both the private and public sectors as a benchmark guide for power generation costs.”

Policy Exchange, ‘Greener, Cheaper’, (2010). (PDF download). - Dr Robert McIlveen and Professor Dieter Helm - “This report has two sections, both of which address the question of how to improve UK carbon reduction policy. The first, Cutting the Cost of Cutting Carbon by Robert McIlveen, explores the current suite of climate change policies. ... The second section, The Case for a Carbon Tax by Dieter Helm, presents a detailed look at options for carbon taxation.”

Public Accounts Committee Report on Renewable Energy (15 September 2005). (PDF file) - Parliament's Public Accounts committee criticises the existing renewables subsidy system as both wasteful and unjustifiably expensive.

Public Accounts Committee, Seventh Report, ‘Funding the development of renewable energy technologies’ (23 November 2010). - “The Committee is concerned that the legally binding target to deliver 15% of energy from renewable sources by 2020 may be unrealistic... We are concerned that the Department agreed to the legally binding 2020 target without clear plans, targets for each renewable energy technology, estimates of funding required or understanding of dependencies such as planning issues.”, etc.

‘Energy Policy and Consumer Hardship’, 2011. (Available as a PDF download) - Renewable Energy Foundation (REF).

RWI - ‘Economic impacts from the promotion of renewable energies: The German experience’ - Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung.

UK Energy Policy: The Small Business Perspective & The Impact on the Rural Economy. Researched and written by Candida Whitmill for, and on behalf of, the Small Business Council, February 2006. [PDF file]

UK Energy Research Centre - ‘Great Expectations: the cost of offshore wind in UK waters – understanding the past and projecting the future’, 27 September 2010.

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. - ‘Study of the effects on employment of public aid to renewable energy sources’, March 2009.
States that, “since 2000 Spain spent €571,138 to create each ‘green job’, including subsidies of more than €1 million per wind industry job.” and that, “The study calculates that the programs creating those jobs also resulted in the destruction of nearly 110,500 jobs elsewhere in the economy, or 2.2 jobs destroyed for every ‘green job’ created.”
The methodology and findings of this report have been heavily criticised by many experts - should be treated with caution.

Verso Economics. - ‘Worth The Candle? The Economic Impact of Renewable Energy Policy in Scotland and the UK’, March 2011.
‘It said 3.7 jobs were lost for every one created in the UK as a whole and that political leaders needed to engage in “honest debate” about the issue.’ (BBC News, 28 February, 2011). Full report costs £36, executive summary can be downloaded from the Verso Website.

Wind Turbines and Health issues

Frey, Barbara J, BA, MA and Peter J Hadden, BSc, FRICS, ‘Wind turbines and proximity to homes: the impact of wind turbine noise on health’, January 2012.
Wide-ranging review of the literature and also of policy and the incidence of turbine noise nuisance world wide. (PDF download).

Hanning, Christopher, BSc, MB, BS, MRCS, LRCP, FRCA, MD, ‘Sleep disturbance and wind turbine noise’, June 2009.
Dr Hanning is Honorary Consultant in Sleep Disorders Medicine to the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, based at Leicester General Hospital. This report was produced for Stop Swinford Wind Farm Action Group (SSWFAG). (PDF download).

Kamperman, George W and Richard R James, ‘The ‘How to’ Guide to Siting Wind Turbines to Prevent Health Risks From Sound’, [PDF file].
“ Our formal presentation and paper on this topic ... was presented to the Institute of Noise Control Engineers (INCE) at its July Noise-Con 2008 conference in Detroit, MI, [...] The formal paper covered the community noise studies performed in response to complaints, research on health issues related to wind turbine noise, critiques of noise studies performed by consultants working for the wind developer and research/technical papers on wind turbine sound immissions and related topics.”

Henrik Møller og Christian Sejer Pedersen, ‘Lavfrekvent støj fra store vindmøller’ [‘Low frequency noise from large wind turbines’], Sektion for Akustik, Aalborg Universitet, 2010.
Government-sponsored, peer-reviewed, Danish language paper by Professor Henrik Møller and Christian Sejer Pedersen of the Acoustics Department, Institute for Electronic Systems, University of Aalborg, Denmark. (PDF download).

Phillips, Carl V., MPP PhD, ‘An Analysis of the Epidemiology and Related Evidence on the Health Effects of Wind Turbines on Local Residents’, 3 July 2010.
“This important document prepared by Dr. Carl V. Phillips MPP, PhD, was submitted to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission as testimony on whether turbine noise is having an adverse effect on human health.”

Ambrose, Stephen E., INCE (Brd. Cert.) and Robert W. Rand, INCE, ‘The Bruce McPherson Infrasound and Low Frequency Noise Study’, 3 July 2010.
“The purpose of this study was to investigate and confirm or deny the presence of infrasonic and low frequency noise emissions (ILFN) from the “WIND 1”, a municipally-owned Vestas V82 industrial wind turbine [Vinalhaven, Mass., USA].”

Pierpont, Nina, MD, PhD, ‘Wind Turbine Syndrome’.
Peer-reviewed research into the health problems reported by people living close to wind turbines.

Minnesota Department of Health, ‘Public Health Impacts of Wind Turbines’, May 2009.
Good overview by the Environmental Health Division of the Minnesota Department of Health of noise and flicker problems from industrial wind turbines.

Rob Rand, ‘Wind Turbine Sound: An Independant Investigation’ 5 February, 2011.
Video presentation by an American acoustician with 40 years experience in industrial noise management explaining why there are problems with turbine noise nuisance at some installations.

Salt, Alec N and Timothy E. Hullara, ‘Responses of the ear to low frequency sounds, infrasound and wind turbines’ May, 2010. Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine.

Punch, Jerry, Richard James and Dan Pabst,‘Wind-turbine noise: What audiologists should know’, Audiology Today, July/August 2010.
“Noise from modern wind turbines is not known to cause hearing loss, but the low-frequency noise and vibration emitted by wind turbines may have adverse health effects on humans and may become an important community noise concern.” (PDF download).

The Society for Wind Vigilance (USA)
“Advocates for Authoritative Wind Turbine Guidelines.”

Industrial Wind Action Group (USA)
Useful list of links to of key documents.

Non-wind Renewable technologies

Examples of Danish biomass plant - "The largest output of sustainable energy in Denmark comes from biomass, that is, from the burning of, or the production of combustible gases from, hay, wood chips, manure from domestic animals, and garbage. Biomass accounts for 80% of the Danish production of sustainable energy." (Danish Govt. Portal)

Energy Power Resource Ltd (EPR) - Large scale biomass plant: "Ely Power Station at 38MW, is the largest straw burning power station in the world generating over 270GWh each year."

Marine Renewable Energy Devices (BWEA page) - Brief survey of some of the emerging marine technologies.

Marine Current Turbines Ltd (MCT) - "MCT installed the world’s first offshore tidal turbine near Lynmouth off the coast of Devon in May 2003 and is now completing installation of the world’s first commercial scale tidal turbine, the 1.2 MW SeaGen, in Strangford Narrows in Northern Ireland. This is the forerunner for a commercial product soon to be widely deployed in the vital quest for clean energy from the oceans."

Solar Century - “the UK’s leading solar energy company.“

Energy Conservation and Carbon Saving

Low Carbon Buildings Programme - Grant aid body closed in DECC cuts, 24 May, 2010. Feed-in tariffs are seen as a replacement (paid for by the electricity consumer, so off the government’s balance sheet).

The Carbon Trust - “The Carbon Trust helps business and the public sector cut carbon emissions, and supports the development of low carbon technologies.”

The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) - The original DIY green technology centre. Still utterly naive about the reality of ‘big wind’, but lots of useful info on energy saving at the domestic level.

The Energy Saving Trust - “A non-profit organisation, funded by government and the private sector. Set up after the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, we have two main goals: 1. To achieve the sustainable use of energy 2. To cut carbon dioxide emissions, one of the key contributors to climate change”.

Renewable Energy UK - “Here you will find a wide range of up to date information about alternative energy generation. Our main focus is on wind power and solar power for the home, but you will also find details on topics as varied as electronics and biodiesel recipes.”
Read their information on domestic turbines before you rush to B&Q! (Update: B & Q have stopped selling domestic turbines).

Zero-Carbon Solutions Ltd - “Founded by Niels Bjergstrom, MSc/PhD (Dipl. Ing.), MACM, DEA, in 2006. Over a number of years Niels gradually realised the urgency of preparing for the new conditions inevitably brought about by accelerating climate change, whether anthropogenic or not... In realisation of the poor standard of the UK building stock and practices he decided to try to push for improvements in this area, not just as an evangelist but practically by helping design and build to ultra-low energy standards. The state of the art in this field is set by German and Scandinavian building regulations, fiscal/political remedies and the passivehouse standard.”
Niels’ opinion of wind power generation echoes that of many engineers: “The heavy investment in wind turbines at the expense of better systems is a mistake.” (See: Niels’ Take On Wind Turbines).

The Wind Industry

RenewableUK (formerly the British Wind Energy Association, BWEA) - Wind industry trade body and lobbying organisation.

European Wind Energy Association - EWEA.

American Wind Energy Association - AWEA.

Politics & Planning - National

BIS - Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (formerly BERR) - BIS sets policy for business, innovation and regional development, amongst other policy areas.

CLG - Department for Communities and Local Government - CLG sets policy on planning, building and the environment, amongst other policy areas.

DECC - Department for Energy and Climate Change - DECC has wide brief on Energy and Climate Change policy.

DEFRA - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - Defra is the department responsible for policy and regulations on the environment, food and rural affairs.

National Grid - “National Grid owns and maintains the high-voltage electricity transmission system in England and Wales, together with operating the system across Great Britain, balancing supply with demand on a minute by minute basis.” NG is an important player in policy implementation and monitoring.

Non-Fossil Purchasing Agency Limited (NFPA) - “Non-Fossil Purchasing Agency Limited (NFPA) has been involved in renewable energy since 1990 - through administration of generation contracts awarded under the Non-Fossil Fuel Orders (NFFOs). More recently, its sister company, NFPA Scotland Limited, has become responsible for the administration of contracts awarded through the Scottish Renewables Order (SROs) - the NFFO equivalent in Scotland. Regular on-line auctions are held for the sale of power and associated Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs), Climate Change Levy Exemption Certificates (LECs) and Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin Certificates (REGOs).”

Ofgem - The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets.

There is considerable crossover between government departments, but DECC seems to be ‘primus inter pares’ on environmental/energy issues.

Politics & Planning - Regional

GONE - Government Office North East. “The Government Office for the North East is one of a number of Government Offices representing central government across the regions. Government offices deliver policies and programmes in each region on behalf of up to twelve central government departments, and [supposedly] reflect regional views back to Whitehall.
GONE seen as dictatorial and undemocratic in the way it has behaved on wind issues, e.g. overriding, without justification, the capacity findings of Benson and the Examination in Public of the Regional Spatial Strategy.
“On 22 July 2010, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, announced to Parliament that the Government has the intention in principle to abolish the remaining eight Government Offices. The process will be subject to using the Spending Review to resolve consequential issues. The final decisions will be made at the end of the Spending Review in the autumn [2010].”

North East Assembly (NEA). Previously the regional strategic planning authority.
The North East Assembly (NEA) closed on 1 April 2009, with local government reorganisation. This saw the North East move to 12 unitary local authorities and the Government’s sub national review of economic development and regeneration, which called for regional assemblies to end by 2010. Statutory responsibilities will continue until the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill is enacted. Once this happens the development, implementation and monitoring of the new single Regional Strategy will become the joint responsibility of the Association of North East Council’s Leaders Board and One North East (ONE).
See the Association of North East Councils (ANEC) website.
The various wind capacity studies carried out by Ove Arup for the NEA are now available on the ANEC website.

One NorthEast - “One NorthEast is the Regional Development Agency (RDA) covering North East England.”
The government has confirmed its intention to replace RDAs like ONE with business-led Local Enterprise Partnerships.
ONE has been utterly uncritical in its support of the wind industry and, while giving millions in grants to the likes of Clipper Windpower, has been unheeding of the effects of onshore wind development on tourism and rural regeneration, which also, supposedly, fall within its remit.

NEEP - North East Energy Partnership. “Takes the lead on developing and overseeing regional energy issues and is responsible for the co-ordination of the regional delivery of Energy White Paper targets.”

NEREG - North East Renewable Energy Group. “NEREG takes the regional lead for co-ordinating activity in developing renewable energy installations and industry in the North East.”
A creature of the wind industry: “The North East Renewable Energy Group (NEREG) has set up a wind subgroup to assess wind issues in the North East. This group does not discuss or consider specific applications. The group provides a neutral forum to assess the potential for the North East in meeting the targets set out in the Regional Renewable Energy Strategy, which informed the Regional Spatial Strategy, and to commission work to gather the information and data needed to inform Regional wind activity. In these documents, the Region's wind resource was identified, along with the level of development needed to help the Region meet its target of 10% of electricity consumed to be generated by renewable sources by 2010. This group brings together a number of stakeholders, public bodies, local authorities, developers, consultants together to look at the gaps in information and the barriers to developing the Regional wind resource.”

TNEI - “The Northern Energy Initiative (TNEI) was a European Centre for the development and promotion of energy technologies. It enjoys support from the UK Government, European Regional Development Fund, EU, Regional Development Agency and key energy related businesses in the North East of England.” (TNEI website 2006).
It has since become a commercial development consultancy and has recently been acquired by oil and gas facilities service provider Petrofac.
TNEI typifies the crossover between publically funded QUANGO’s and commercial consultancies in the renewables sector:
“TNEI has exceptional capability in relation to wind farm consenting and grid connection.” (TNEI website).

Planning Authorities - North East England

Groups, North East England:

Action For Rural Morpeth (AfRM)
Group opposing the ‘North Covert’ and Tranwell proposals near Morpeth.

Fight Fenrother Windfarm.
Opposes plans by Energiekontor for five 126m turbines at Fenrother, near Longhorsley.

Hamsterley & Upper Gaunless Action Group (HUGAG).
Opposes plans by Banks Renewables and Bolterstone to erect up to thirteen 115m turbines on land between Woodland and Hamsterley Forest.

Middle Hill Action Group (MHAG).
Group opposing the proposal by Air Farmers for nine 125m (410 ft) turbines at Middle Hill, Elsdon.

Middleton Burn Action Group (MBAG).
Group opposing the proposal by Air Farmers for sixteen 125m (410 ft) turbines at Middleton Burn (Swinhoe Farm), Belford.

Seven Parishes Action Group (SPAG).
“SPAG is a body jointly established by the Seven Parish Councils of Bishopton, Great Stainton, Little Stainton, Sadberge, East and West Newbiggin, Great Burdon and Redmarshall [between Darlington and Stockton, Co. Durham]. It represents the lives of well over 2000 local residents.”

Wingates NOT Wind Farms.
Group opposing proposals by BT, Infinis (Novera Energy), Coronation Power, RES, Force 9 and Energy4All which would encircle Wingates village in massive turbines.

Groups, Scottish Borders and Lothians:

Penicuik Environment Protection Association (PEPA).
“Formed by residents of Penicuik, Carlops and Howgate communities to protect Auchencorth Moss near Penicuik from E.ON's proposal to build 18 x 2.5 MW wind turbines.” Scheme rejected at appeal. Other threats in the area.

Broadmeadows Action Group (BAG).
Group opposing proposals by GreenPower for thirteen 112 metre (367 ft.) turbines near Yarrowford. This proposal has now been appealed after being rejected locally.

Brunta Hill Action Group (BHAG).
Group opposing proposal by PNE Wind for ten 126.5m turbines at Brunta Hill, between Lauder and Westruther.
Email: bruntahillactiongroup@gmail.com

Dunion Hill Conservation Group (DHCG).
Group opposed the proposal by Windjen for eight 101m turbines on Dunion Hill and Black Law near Jedburgh. Refused by SBC (10/9/07) and at appeal (9/04/09) - first refusal on appeal in SBC area.

Save Our Scenery (SOS) - Earlshaugh.
“Save Our Scenery is a campaign group established in May 2008 in response to an application by Wind Energy (Earlshaugh) Ltd to put 36 wind turbines - each over 400 ft high - in a site between the Devil’s Beef Tub, Hartfell and the source of the River Tweed.”

Save the Lammermuirs (STL).
Group fighting further damage to the Lammermuir Hills with huge turbine arrays, particularly Aikengall II (Wester Dod), a proposal for another twenty-two 145m turbines.

LPG - Lauderdale Preservation Group (LPG).
Group formed, “to preserve the existing quiet rural character of the area, to oppose the construction of large scale wind power stations, with particular initial reference to the proposed site on Corsbie Moor and Legerwood, but to encourage sympathetic renewable energy developments.”

Minto Hills Conservation Group (MHCG).
Group founded, “to keep the southern Borders beautiful and, in particular, to protect the panoramic views, landscape and countryside surrounding the Minto Hills from inappropriate development”.
Email: mintohills@clara.co.uk

North Pentlands Windfarm Action Group (NPWAG).
“We are a group of residents from West Lothian and South Lanarkshire who are concerned about the growing number of wind farms in these areas, and the effect they are having on people, wildlife, our landscape and environment, and our livelihoods.”

Scottish Borders Against Windfarm Saturation (SBAWS).
Group opposing the RWE NPower proposal for twenty three 125m turbines at Rowantree, near Stow.

Sustain a Beautiful East Lothian (SABEL).
Group formed in response to the rash of planning applications for 25 metre plus turbines in rural East Lothian.

Association to Protect the Environment at Leadburn (APEAL).
Group formed to oppose a proposal to build five 125m turbines at Spurlens Rig, between the Pentland and Moorfoot Hills, just south of Leadburn.

Protect Your Cheviots (PYC).
Opposing a proposal by Vattenfall to build six 110m turbines at Whitton Loch, near Morebattle. This scheme, on the edge of the Cheviot Hills, would blight a treasured Borders landscape and marr views from Carter Bar, the Pennine Way, St Cuthbert’s Way, Peniel Heugh and Rubers Law, and would be highly visible from areas of the Merse and the Tweed Valley.

Some Scottish Campaign Groups:

AWF - ArgyllWindFarms.com - “Facilitating an informed debate on the development of more Wind Farms in Argyll.
The largest member based wind farm lobby group in Scotland, AWF are in favour of renewable energy, but oppose inappropriately sited wind farms or too many wind farms in one area. AWF are increasingly concerned by the sheer number of wind farms being planned for the area.”

ASWAG - The Amulree & Strathbraan Windfarm Action Group - “Set up by residents at the start of 2004 as a result of proposals to build multiple large-scale wind farms in and around Amulree and Strathbraan in the golden triangle at the very heart of Scotland, with Aberfeldy to the north, Dunkeld to the east and Crieff to the west.”

Fairwind - “A wind factory information site for Ardnamurchan, Morvern and Mull.”.

Auchtermuchty Landscape and Environment Group - Opposing an application by Energie Kontor for five 100 metre high turbines on the outskirts of Auchtermuchty, in Fife.
Refused and turned down again on appeal, February 2008.

Brunta Hill Action Group (BHAG).
Group opposing proposal by PNE Wind for ten 126.5m turbines at Brunta Hill, between Lauder and Westruther.
Email: bruntahillactiongroup@gmail.com

Caithness Windfarm Information Forum - “is a group of people concerned by the potential destruction of the unique heritage of Caithness and Sutherland through industrial windfarm development for no material reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and no significant contribution to climate change.”

CADEAP - Ceres and District Environment & Amenity Protection - “.A group dedicated to provide support and advice to those concerned about the proposal by EnergieKontor to build a wind farm at Gathercauld between Ceres and Baldinnie and to direct a constructive and informed campaign against this proposal.”

CLPG - Clatto Landscape Protection Group, Fife - Originally founded to fight proposal by Scottish Power for seventeen 93m turbines in 2003. Planning permission was refused.
Two new proposals have now come forward: (1) Green Cat Renewables (GCR) on behalf of Douglas Rennie of Clatto Farm for three 100m turbines on the top of Clatto Hill; (2) West Coast Energy, for seven 120m turbines on adjacent land.

CAWT - Concerned About Wind Turbines - “This website aims to help individuals and groups concerned about industrial wind turbines (those that are at least 50m in height) throughout Aberdeenshire. June 2010: There are currently 300+ industrial turbines erected or at various stages of planning throughout Aberdeenshire.”

Stop Dorenell Wind Farm - “A giant wind farm will straddle the wild hills between Glenfiddich & Glenlivet irreparably damaging an Area of Great Landscape Value, just a couple of miles from the boundary of The Cairngorm National Park.”

Druim ba - Say No - Group opposing a proposal for twenty three 149.5m (490 ft) turbines on the Blairmore Estate, near Kiltarlity and Abriachan, Inverness-shire. The Great Glen Way will pass right by the turbines.

SABEL - Sustain a Beautiful East Lothian - Group formed in response to the rash of planning applications for 25 metre plus turbines in rural East Lothian.

RATTs - Residents Against Tay Turbines (Dundee) - Group opposing proposal by Forth Energy for two 127m wind turbines in two 127m tall wind turbines in Dundee’s port.

SOS - Save Our Scenery (Earlshaugh windfarm) - “Save Our Scenery is a campaign group established in May 2008 in response to an application by Wind Energy (Earlshaugh) Ltd to put 36 wind turbines - each over 400 ft high - in a site between the Devil's Beef Tub, Hartfell and the source of the River Tweed.”

EFTAG - East Fife Turbine Awareness Group - “Formed to keep the public aware of the alarming number of developments right across East Fife.”

EVAG - Endrick Valley Action Group - Group opposing plans by NPower to build nine 125m (410 ft) turbines on Ballindalloch Muir, West Stirlingshire, near the village of Balfron and only 1.3 miles from where more than 1000 children are taught in the local secondary, primary and nursery schools.

Fairwind - “A wind factory information site for Ardnamurchan, Morvern and Mull.”.

FoF - Friends of the Forest - Group opposing a scheme to build 11 turbines, each 413 ft (126m) high, in what would be left of Montreathmont forest, in the historic heartland of Angus.
“The Montreathmont Wind Power Project brings us one step closer to the end of Bonnie Scotland” - David Bellamy 04/03/05.

GLARE - Galloway Landscape And Renewable Energy - “launched in November 2004 by a group of concerned Galloway residents in reaction to the proliferation of proposals & planning applications to build enormous wind farms (power stations) in Dumfries and Galloway.”

Highlands before Pylons - “A voluntary organisation whose aim is to protect and conserve the beautiful landscapes and natural habitats of the Highlands, for the benefit of local residents, visitors, and future generations.”

Kenly Wind Farm Landscape Protection Group - “... set up following the St. Andrews University proposal to install 6x100 metre high wind turbines at Upper Kenly Farm which sits in the middle of the communities of Boarhills, Kingsbarns and Dunino”.

KOWAG - Kintyre Offshore Windfarm Action Group - “Our Group was formed in July 2010, following an unprecedented community meeting in Machrihanish Village Hall. This was called to allow the West Kintyre community the opportunity to express its concern at the plans by Scottish Southern Energy to develop a huge windfarm just 2km from the shore of the stunningly beautiful and ecologically rich Machrihanish Bay.”

Save the Lammermuirs - Group fighting further damage to the Lammermuir Hills with huge turbine arrays, particularly Aikengall II, a proposal for another twenty two 145m turbines on the Moneynut ridge.

LPG - Lauderdale Preservation Group - Group formed, “to preserve the existing quiet rural character of the area, to oppose the construction of large scale wind power stations, with particular initial reference to the proposed site on Corsbie Moor and Legerwood, but to encourage sympathetic renewable energy developments.”

Stop Loch Lomond Wind Turbines - Group opposing the Merkins proposal by Lomond Energy for ten 110m turbines in the Kilpatrick Hills, close to Loch Lomond and the Trossochs National Park.

Marnoch and Deveron Valley Protection Group, Aberdeenshire - Group fighting a proposal for three 84m (275 ft) turbines and an electricity substation which will blight the “Deveron Valley Area of Landscape Significance” and overshadow the historic Marnoch Old Church and cemetery.

gleninfo.co.uk (Mile Hill windfarm) - Opposing an application by Airtricity for six 100.5m wind turbines, 2 anemometer masts, 7 Borrow Pits (quarries), tracks and other infrastructure at Mile Hill, nr. Kirkton of Kingoldrum, Angus.

Minto Hills Conservation Group (MHCG).
Group founded, “to keep the southern Borders beautiful and, in particular, to protect the panoramic views, landscape and countryside surrounding the Minto Hills from inappropriate development”.
Email: mintohills@clara.co.uk

Moorland Without Turbines - Group opposing the hundreds of turbines that have been proposed on Lewis. Scottish Natural Heritage describe Lewis as “a landscape of high natural heritage sensitivity and of world, international and national importance”.

SOS Moray - “12% of Scotland's wind turbines (89) are already sited in, or on the border of, Moray..... however there are now proposals to build up to a further 200 turbines mainly sited in areas of outstanding natrual beauty such as the Dava Moor and the Glenfiddich & Cabrach Hills.”

Wind Farm Free Mull - “Argyll & Bute Council’s Finalised Draft local plan has identified Mull as a constrained area for windfarms. Mull is therefore considered to be an area that is essentially incompatible with commercial windfarm development (4 or more turbines).”

NPWAG - North Pentlands Windfarm Action Group - “We are a group of residents from West Lothian and South Lanarkshire who are concerned about the growing number of wind farms in these areas, and the effect they are having on people, wildlife, our landscape and environment, and our livelihoods.”

Sustainable Shetland - “"Sustainable Shetland was formed in February 2008 in response to the Viking Energy wind farm project [150 turbines, up to 145m] in Shetland."”

SWOG - Spittal Windfarm Opposition Group - “Formed in August 2004 by residents living around Spittal Hill in Central Caithness when we first saw the developers' scoping plans for a major windfarm on Spittal Hill.
The current plan is for 30 turbines 110 metres high, covering an area of about 3.43 square kilometres or 847 acres which, because of its size, will be submitted to the Scottish Executive rather than to Highland Council.”

SEAG - Standingfauld Environmental Action Group - Group opposing a proposal by West Coast Energy Ltd. for eight 100m turbines at Standingfauld and Cairn Farms, just a few kilometres from the villages of Braco, Blackford, Muthill, Crieff and Auchterarder in Perthshire.

No Tiree Array - Group formed to oppose the so-called ‘Argyll Array’, a proposal by Scottish Power Renewables (owned by Iberdrola) for up to 500 gargantuan (180m) offshore wind turbines as close inshore as 5km to Tiree, the most westerly and, arguably, the most beautiful of the Inner Hebridean islands.
“The Argyll Array site is located 5 km off the coast of Tiree, and covers approximately 361 km².” (SPR website).

Turbine Watch 312 (TW312) - “TW312 is a group of local residents concerned about the proliferation of planning applications for wind factories across the Stewartry area of Dumfries and Galloway.”

Windfarm Action Group (WAG). - “We are a group of people,based in The Highlands of Scotland, some of whom have given up 1 day a week of their work to pursue our aim to create a network of groups who link to this site and can use the information and resources we build to help fight wind farm campaigns on our own turf and to create a national and international voice for a moratorium on windfarm development.”

Windfarm Action Blog. - “Calling for a moratorium on wind farms in the Highlands.”

Protect Your Cheviots. - Group opposing a proposal by Vattenfall to build six 110m turbines at Whitton Loch, near Morebattle, in the Scottish Borders. This scheme, on the edge of the Cheviot Hills, would blight a treasured Borders landscape and marr views from Carter Bar, the Pennine Way, St Cuthbert’s Way, Peniel Heugh and Rubers Law, and would be highly visible from areas of the Merse and the Tweed Valley.

Some English and Welsh Campaign Groups:

Action For Rural Morpeth (AfRM)
Group opposing the ‘North Covert’ and Tranwell proposals near Morpeth.

Artists Against Wind Farms - A group formed by artist Christine Lovelock, daughter of Gaia theorist Dr James Lovelock

STOP – Stop Turbines Oppose Peel (Asfordby) - Group opposing an application by Peel Wind Farms for eight 125m, and one 105m, turbines to the north of Asfordby, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire

Stop Aston Wind Farm - Group of residents of Aston and Dutton, near Frodsham, Cheshire, fighting to prevent four enormous wind turbines, each over 400 feet tall, being erected on North Cheshire Green Belt land in the Weaver Valley. Application refused, decision has been appealed.
“The Group has reformed, and its key objective now is to ensure that the overwhelming arguments against this wind farm in this highly visible and sensitive location are properly and professionally presented to the Public Inquiry.”

STOPstw - Stop Severn Trent Water (Aston Hall) - STOPstw (formerly Burstonwind) was formed to lead the fight against Severn Trent Water’s proposed three 132m (433 ft) high wind turbines on land at Aston Hall Farm, adjacent to the River Trent, canal and wetlands between Aston by Stone and Burston, Staffordshire.

ASWAR - Against Subsidised Windfarms Around Rugby - “ASWAR has been formed to fight the threats from windfarms to the rural communities around Rugby.”

Atlantic Disarray - Opposing the “Atlantic Array”, a proposal by RWE npower for between 188 and 417 gigantic turbines in the outer Bristol Channel, bounded by Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the North Devon, Pembrokeshire and Gower coasts, between two proposed Marine Conservation Zones, adjacent to the existing Lundy Maritime Reserve and within the boundaries of the North Devon Biosphere Reserve.

Stop Barnwell Manor Windfarm - Group opposing proposal by West Coast Energy for five 126m turbines on the Duke of Gloucester’s Barnwell estate in Northants.

BWAG - Baumber Wind Farm Action Group - Group formed to oppose a proposal by Enertrag for eight 125m. turbines at Chase Farm, Baumber, near Horncastle in the Lincolnshire Wolds.

BLOT - Belvoir Locals Oppose Turbines - “The objective of BLOT is to oppose the proposed development of industrial wind turbines or wind farms in the area of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire popularly known as the Vale of Belvoir; and in particular the proposed development in the area bounded by the villages of Bottesford, Normanton, Staunton, Long Bennington, Foston, Allington, Sedgebrook, Muston and Easthorpe.”
Appeal against refusal of Infinergy’s scheme for ten 125.5m turbines at Thackson’s Well rejected 16/11/08. Developer is threatening further action.

Stop Benington Wind Farm Action Group - “A proposal by R.H. Bott & Sons to erect three large (120m) wind turbines on High Elms Lane, between Benington, Aston and Watton-at-Stone in Hertfordshire.”

BWFOG - Berrier Wind Farm Opposition Group, - An action group opposing the construction of 9 huge wind turbines on Berrier Hill, near Blencathra.
“Saddleback, Blencathra is one of the great fortress mountains of the Northern Lake District. It is majestic & seems wonderfully wild. This will be ruined should the proposed wind turbines at Berrier be supported.” Lord Melvyn Bragg.

SBWT - Stop Bickerton Wind Turbines - “An action group dedicated to protect and conserve the landscape, tranquillity and wildlife of the Bickerton Hill area [of Cheshire] for the benefit of residents, visitors and local businesses.”

Stop Bicton Wind Farm - Group opposing a proposal by Broadview Energy for up to eight 125m turbines to the north west of Grafham Reservoir, nr. Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire.

BHATS - Billingborough & Horbling Against TurbineS - Group opposing a proposal by E.ON for seventeen 126.5m turbines at Billingborough Fen, near Billingborough, Lincolnshire.

BOLT - Birdsedge and district Opposition to Large wind Turbines - Group opposing a proposal Pure Renewable Energies (PRE) for four 125m turbines at Birdsedge, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. There is now a further application for a string of five 15m turbines at nearby Meadow Nook Farm, Cumberworth.

Blaen Bowi Action Group - Already suffering from three turbines: “Since being installed they have caused significant problems to local residents in terms of health, noise nuisance, disruption to TV signals and of course value of local property.” An application to double the number of turbines was defeated in October 2007 and is now being appealed.

SPAWF - Staffordshire Protest Against Wind Farm - Opposing a proposal by Harworth Power to erect 3 x 102m wind turbines at Bleak House, nr. Wimblebury, Cannock, Staffordshire.

BLOT - Bodmin and Lanivet Oppose Turbines, - An action group opposed to the proposed building of huge wind turbines in the Lanivet, Bodmin area in the beautiful countryside of North Cornwall.
Ecotricity wants to build at least six 330 feet (100 metre) wind-turbines in the Reperry Cross area, on the side of the hill stretching alongside the Bodmin bypass.

BLOT - Bozeat Lavendon Oppose Turbines - "We are the campaign organisation for the villages surrounding the proposed Windfarm Development by Npower at Nun Wood that will lay across the three counties of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire and will have an immediate and major impact on the villages of Bozeat (Northants), Harrold (Beds) and Lavendon (Bucks) along with many smaller villages and communities within the area."

Boltons FORCE - Group opposing a scheme by Your Energy for eight massive turbines between Bolton Low Houses and Boltongate, near Wigton, Cumbria. The site is next to an existing turbine array at High Pow Farm.

KNOll to Wind Farm - Proposal by Ecotricity for five 100 metre turbines which would dominate the Somerset Levels landscape and severely damage the historic landscape of Brent Knoll was rejected by a Planning Inspector on 15 January 2008, following a public inquiry triggered by Ecotricity's appeal against refusal by the LPA.

SBWF - Stop Brixworth Wind Farm - Group opposing the construction of six 410 ft turbines in a designated ‘Special Landscape Area’ and in close proximity to Brixworth [Northamptonshire] Saxon Church, the largest Saxon Building in Europe and an international heritage site.

Cefn Croes photo-gallery - Rape of an upland plateau - More grim reality - the destruction of a landscape as a turbine array is built. IF YOU LOOK AT NOTHING ELSE, LOOK AT THIS.

RATS - Residents Against TurbineS - Carland Cross Wind Farm Action Group - Group opposing a planning application submitted by Scottish Power, to replace the 15 existing 49m turbines next to the A30, near Truro, with ten 100m turbines on a much extended site on Newlyn Downs and adjacent farm land.

CARST - Communities Against Reagill and Sleagill Turbines - Group opposing proposal by Pure Renewable Energies Ltd for up to eleven 125m turbines, just a few hundred yards from the villages of Reagill and Sleagill, in Cumbria.

STOP - Stop Turbines On Peninsula - “Italian company Energia in Natura proposes to erect six enormous wind turbines on the beautiful Cartmel Peninsula, three on Stribers and three on Ellerside. Each would be 125 meters/410 feet high to the blade tip, about four times the height of Cartmel Priory or the Hoad Monument.”

PRESERVE - Protecting Our Rural Environment (Chelverston) - Group opposing a proposal by Chelveston Renewable Energy (CRE) to build nine 400 feet tall wind turbines, four in Bedfordshire and five in Northamptonshire, on the former Chelveston Airfield.

ChART - Cheshire Against Rural Turbines - Group formed to oppose a proposal by NPower for 3 x 100m turbines at Oxheys Farm, Rushton, near Tarporley.

CAT - Chilla Against Turbines - Campaign drawing support from the communities of Halwill, Chilla, Black Torrington, Highampton, Odham, Northlew, Sheepwash, Shebbear and Beaworthy in North Devon which opposes plans by Scottish Power to build 15 large-scale (up to 125m.) wind turbines on Chilla Moor.

ATAC - Against Turbines At Chiplow - “ATAC is a group formed in August 2007 to fight the proposals by E.On UK to build a wind farm at Chiplow in West Norfolk, UK.”

ASWAR - Against Subsidised Windfarms Around Rugby - Group opposing a proposal by SSE Renewables for nine 125m turbines in the beautiful Swift Valley next to the village of Churchover, in the borough of Rugby.

CFAG - Cotton Farm Action Group - Group opposing a proposal by NPower for eight 127m (416ft) turbines, at Cotton Farm overlooking the Ouse Valley in Cambridgeshire. (Consented on appeal).

Friends of Craven Landscape - Group fighting a proposal by EnergieKontor to build five 100m (328 ft)turbines at Brightenber Hill, a Special Landscape Area, between Gargrave and West Marton, about 6 miles from Skipton in Yorkshire. The area is a green oasis of rolling hills about 2.5 miles south of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and 3.5 miles east of the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Cumbria Wind Watch (CWW) - “Cumbria Wind Watch (CWW) has no political agenda. It is built to share knowledge and experience about fighting wind farms.”

CSWWAG -Cridling Stubbs & Womersley Windfarm Action Group (Darrington) - Opposing a proposal by WRG for eight 125m (410ft) industrial wind turbines at Darrington, near Selby, North Yorkshire.

DBJRG - Den Brook Judicial Review Group - Renewable Energy Systems (RES) have now (December 2009) been given approval to build nine 400 ft high wind turbines in mid-Devon's Den Brook Valley. Planning permission was originally refused by the local Council, but was overturned on appeal.
As a result of the Den Brook Valley Judicial Review Team’s legal actions, the Secretary of State quashed the unlawful planning permission. The application went back to the Planning Inspectorate and has now been approved.
The DBJRG (Den Brook Judicial Review Group) were responsible for uncovering how the government covered up the findings of the Hayes Mackenzie report on turbine noise.

DART - Dorset Against Rural Turbines - Opposing a proposal by Infinergy for six 125m (410ft) industrial wind turbines at East Stoke, near Wareham.

DTOG - Dunsland Turbines Opposition Group - Opposing Bolsterstone’s proposal to build four wind turbines at Dunsland Cross next to the village of Brandis Corner, between Holsworthy and Torrington in North Devon.

FELLS - Friends of Eden, Lakeland and Lunesdale Scenery - “FELLS began its fight to protect the countryside of Cumbria and North Lancashire from inappropriately sited wind farms in June 2000 and continues to provide support and up to date information to community groups opposing wind farm developers in the area.”

FLAT - Fenland Landscape Against Turbines - “FLAT is a campaign to stop wind turbines being erected at Marshland St James, Norfolk.”

Fight Fenrother Windfarm.
Opposes plans by Energiekontor for five ?126m turbines at Fenrother, near Longhorsley.

FORCE - Friends of Rural Cumbria’s Environment - “Committed to opposing inappropriately sited wind energy development in Cumbria and to challenging government guidelines which fail to protect the countryside from this unacceptable industrialisation.”

RAW - Residents Against the Windfarm - Campaign against a proposal by Peel Energy for twenty one (21) 125m turbines on Frodsham and Helsby marshes on the south side of the Mersey estuary near Frodsham, in Cheshire

Glyncorrwg Action Group - Originally formed in 1993 to fight a proposal by Ecogen for 45 turbines at Blaencorrwg, near Glyncorrwg. The proposal was refused in Feb 1994, but Ecogen reapplied for 36 turbines, 180 feet high. In Nov 1994 this proposal was rejected; the company did not appeal.
The group reformed to fight a proposal by Eco2 for four 410 ft turbines at Corrwg Fechan, near to houses in Glyncorrwg and a Gamesa plan for 4 turbines 603 feet high on Blaencorrwg behind Cymmer Road and 10 turbines 603 feet high on Gelli Mountain in Cymmer/Croeserw.

Stop Great Cransley Wind Farm - An action group of local residents, formed in April 2008, who oppose ‘Bolsterstone’s’ plans for four 125 metre high) wind turbines, on land between Great Cransley and Mawsley, approximately 3.5km south of Kettering in Northamptonshire.

HALT - Group opposing a scheme by Stamford Renewables Ltd for up twelve 130m (427 ft) turbines in the Ringsfield and Barsham parishes near Beccles, Suffolk.

Say No to Harrington - Group opposing proposal by Nuon for seven 126m turbines on the site of the old RAF Harrington, near Daventry.

Stop Haversham Wind Farm - Group opposing the “Orchard Way” proposal by RWE Npower for five 127m turbines at Hill Farm, Haversham, in North Buckinghamshire.

SHOWT - Stop Hempnall's Onshore Wind Turbines - Action group of local villages campaigning against Enertrag UK's proposal for giant turbines near Hempnall, in rural South Norfolk some seven miles south of Norwich.
An application for seven 125m turbines was unanimously (7-0) rejected on 5 August 2008 and subsequently rejected at appeal (December, 2009). Enertrag have now sold their interests in the area to TCI Renewables.

HWFAG - Heslerton Wind Farm Action Group - Action group campaigning against a proposal by RWE npower for ten 125m turbines near East Heslerton, in the Yorkshire Wolds area of North Yorkshire.

Heydon Grange Action Group - Group opposing a proposal by Volkswind for eight 126.5 metres (415ft) turbines just outside the picturesque and unspoilt South Cambridgeshire village of Heydon.

Belthorn village website - Stop the Hyndburn Wind Farm - Group opposing proposal by Energiekontor for twelve 122m turbines on Oswaldtwistle Moor, Lancashire.

WAIT - Winterton Against Inappropriate Turbines (Ironstone Quarry) - Group opposing an application by Waste Recycling Group (WRG) for four 127m turbines very close to the village of Winterton, North Lincolnshire.

CAPE - Creakes Action for Protecting the Environment (Jacks Lane) - Group fighting a proposal by RES for six 126.5m turbines at Jack's Lane between North Creake, Syderstone and Stanhoe, near Fakenham in North West Norfolk.

Stop Kelmarsh Wind Farm - Kelmarsh Hall is a Grade 1 listed building in northern Northamptonshire owned by a private charitable Trust. The gardens are also listed. The Trustees of the Kelmarsh Hall Trust are proposing to have seven 120 m. wind turbines erected next to the Civil War battlefield of Naseby which borders the Kelmarsh Hall estate to the West. Rejected by LPA, (outrageously) consented at appeal against all local opinion and admitting resultant damage to setting of Kelmarsh Hall amnd battlefield.

KWAG - Kentish Weald Action Group - Group opposing proposal for a 127m wind turbine just outside Marden, on the banks of the River Teise, in the beautiful Teise Valley.

King Street STAG (Stop Turbine Action Group) - Group opposing the King’s Street proposal by Wind Prospect for six 126m turbines and associated infrastructure near Church Eaton, in Staffordshire.

VVASP - Vale Villages Against Scottish Power Renewables [Lenchwick] - Group opposing proposal to build ten 125m turbines at Lenchwick, overlooking the Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire.

wind farms org.uk [Lenchwick] - “The purpose of this forum is to create a place for the examination of wind farms in general and, specifically, the planned wind farm in our community.”

Lilbourne Action Group Against the Wind Farm Opposing scheme by Cetis for twelve 125m turbines on land adjacent the village of Lilbourne which is on the borders of Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Leicestershire.

Stop Linton Wind Farm Action Group - "Enertrag, a German wind farm developer, is proposing to build an eight turbine wind farm on the ridge between Linton, The Abingtons, Great Chesterford and Hadstock [South Cambridgeshire]. Each turbine will be 125/130m high, the tallest yet to be built in England."

Landscape First [Longfield Tarn] - “We are a non political local action group co-ordinating opposition to Eon’s proposed power station at Longfield Tarn (previously referred to as Nanny Hall), near Kirkby Lonsdale [Cumbria].”

AWFALS - Against Wind Farm At Low Spinney - Group opposing proposal by Broadview Energy for six 125m turbines on Low Spinney between the villages of Dunton Bassett, Ashby Magna and Gilmorton in the Harborough District of South Leicestershire.

STILE - Stop Turbines in Lunesdale Environment - “Group formed in April 2005 to oppose the spread of wind turbines in conspicuous locations within the Lune Valley, where their siting would have a detrimental effect on the rural and environmental character of the area whilst providing minimal energy generation with disproportionate destruction of the countryside.”

MAIWAG - Marton, Askam & Ireleth Windfarm Action Group - Archived version of site. See also David Brierley's presentation (on the StopCWF website) about MAIWAG's experience of lies, deception and the reality of living with turbines.

AMP - Action Against Matlock Moor Wind Farm Proposal - Group opposing a proposal by West Coast Energy for five 125m turbines on Matlock Moor, in North East Derbyshire.

Middle Hill Action Group - Group formed to fight a proposal by Air Farmers for nine 125m. (410 ft) turbines at Middle Hill, close to the historic village of Elsdon, and bordering the Northumberland National Park.

Middleton Burn Action Group (MBAG) - Group opposing the proposal by Air Farmers for sixteen 125m (410 ft) turbines at Middleton Burn (Swinhoe Farm), Belford.

Mynydd Llansadwrn Action Group - Action group set up to protect Mynydd Llansadwrn, part of the spectacular undulating landscape of Carmarthenshire, in south Wales, from speculative developers.

SMWFAG - Stop Molesworth Wind Farm Action Group - Group opposing a proposal by RWE NPower for eight 126m turbines near Bythorn in Huntingdonshire.

MAP - Montgomeryshire Against Pylons.

New Albion Windfarm Action Group for Rushton and Pipewell. - Group opposing the so-called ‘New Albion’ proposal by Infinergy for seven 100m turbines between the heritage villages of Rushton and Pipewell in Northamptonshire.

Newlands Windfarm Action Group - Group opposing the Newlands proposal by Bolterstone for three 115m turbines close to Cumwhinton, nr. Carlisle.

NHWAG - North Hambleton Windfarm Action Group - Campaign Group opposing a proposal by Pure Renewable Energies for nine 125m turbines at Ingram Grange Farm close to communities at Appleton Wiske, Deighton, East Rounton, Great Smeaton, Hornby, Little Smeaton, Picton, Welbury and West Rounton in the Hambleton District of North Yorkshire.

No Wind Turbine Here - Campaign Group opposing a proposal for a 126m turbine at Sparrow Lodge, Pincet Lane, North Kilworth in Leicestershire. The proposed turbine would be very close to housing.

NOWT NE Cumbria - “Group set up to oppose the Banks Developments Ltd proposal for wind farms at the Black Knors, Mossgrove, and Stonechest areas of North East Cumbria.”

PAG - Peckleton Action Group - Group opposing a proposal to site two 125 metre (410ft) high wind turbines on land between the villages of Desford, Peckleton, Kirkby Mallory and Newbold Verdon, in the Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council area of Leicestershire.

STOPIT - Stop Pilliven Industrial Turbines - Group opposing a proposal by NUON for four 100m turbines at Pilliven Farm, near Witheridge in North Devon.

PWAG - Pontefract Wind Farm Action Group - Banks Developments are proposing to erect six 125m high wind turbines near Darrington, Wentbridge, Carleton and East Hardwick, near the A1 ESE of Pontefract in Yorkshire. Your Energy Ltd. is proposing another array on a site between Knottingley and Eggborough NE of Pontefract.

VORTEX - - Group fighting an application by Nuon Renewables for 7 x 105m turbines on a site at Poplar Lane, Bearstone, North Shropshire.

STAR - Stop Turbines at Ringstead - STAR was set up to oppose the Ringstead Grange proposal by Volkswind for five 125m turbines between Ringstead Village and Raunds, in East Northamptonshire.

HARM - Householders against Rushy Mead - Householders opposing Partnership for Renewables proposal for four 130m turbines at Rushy Mead, just south of the M4 close to Lower Earley, nr. Reading in Berkshire.

SOS - Save Our Salcey - Group opposing a scheme by Ecotricity for fifteen 125m turbines close to Salsey Forest, the remnant of a royal hubnting forest in Northamptonshire.

AGAST - Action Group Against Sempringham Turbines - Action group of local residents who oppose Iberdrola’s scheme for six 120m wind turbines on green belt agricultural land at Neslam Farm, Sempringham Fen in the Lincolnshire Fens.

Protect Sheephouse Heights - Group opposing Dutch company Evelop’s proposal for five 125m turbines at Sheephouse Heights, above Stocksbridge and Penistone, near Barnsley, on the edge of the Peak District National Park.

STOP - Sibsey Turbine On-shore Protest - Group opposing Iberdrola's scheme for ten 394 foot turbines between Sibsey and Stickney in East Lindsey District, Lincolnshire.

SOS - Save Our Silton - Group opposing a proposal by Ecotricity to build six 120m (394ft) wind turbines at Silton near Gillingham, in Dorset [now revised to 4 or 5].
MOD are requiring warning lights on these turbines: ‘Miss Cyranne Taylor the “Safeguarding Officer - Wind Energy” for MoD, Defence Estates, writes: “If construction goes ahead there will be a requirement for 200 candela fixed omni-directional red lighting on each turbine due to their location in the Night Low Flying System.”’

SOBER - Save Our Borderland Environment - “SOBER is a voluntary group of people whose aim is to protect the landscape and wildlife of the Oswestry and Welsh Borderlands from insensitively sited wind-driven power stations.”

SOCME - Save Our Common Mountain Environment - Group opposing a proposal by National Wind Power for a large wind power station on the profoundly beautiful and historic Mynydd Y Gwair (The Hay Mountain), North Gower.

SOS - Save Our Scenery - “Npower Renewables want to site the largest offshore wind farm in the UK in our bay. We already have 30 wind turbines off Prestatyn some 14 miles off our heritage coastline but they currently intrude upon our bay on clear days. Consent already exists for a further 30 (Rhyl Flats consented in 2003) This will take the cumulative total to 60. The Gwynt-Y-Mor (Windy Sea ) will add a further 200+ of the largest turbines yet at 520 feet. These will be approximately 5 miles off the Llandudno Promenade. A total of 260… a fence of steel will enclose the bay.”

COST - Community Opposed to Shap Turbines - Opposing a proposal by Gamesa for ten 100 metre turbines that threaten Shap and the Eden Valley.

No to Wolds wind Farm Group (South Dale) - Opposing a proposal by Banks for fourteen turbines up to 145m high on the outskirts of Hunmanby. The group say that the development will have a damaging visual impact on local villages and the Yorkshire Wolds.

SIEGE - Southminster Inhabitants Environmental Group Enterprise - Group campaigning against 2 proposals, by Ridgewind and RES for a total of 29 turbines on the Dengie Peninsular in Essex (See BATTLE above for group fighting another 10 in this area).

STAPLE - South Tendring Acting to Protect our Local Environment - Group opposing a proposal by NPower for an array of 5 x 410 ft. turbines near Clacton-on-Sea in Essex. STAPLE says there would be 6,000 people living within 0.5 to 1.0 miles of the turbines.

STOP - Spaldington Turbine Opposition Project - Group opposing a proposal by Volkswind for seven 126.5m (415 ft) turbines on Spaldington Common, half way between the historic market town of Howden and the Yorkshire Wolds, and a second application by Coriolis/Falck for 5 turbines up to 126m (413 ft) high on Spaldington Airfield. “There are already 14 other wind farm developments in operation, under construction, in the planning process or at scoping stage within a 20km radius of Spaldington Common.”

SPAG - Seven Parishes Action Group - “SPAG is a body jointly established by the Seven Parish Councils of Bishopton, Great Stainton, Little Stainton, Sadberge, East and West Newbiggin, Great Burdon and Redmarshall [between Darlington and Stockton, Co. Durham]. It represents the lives of well over 2000 local residents.”

SOS - Save our Stainmore - Group opposing a proposal by Community Windpower Ltd to build twelve 125 metre (410 feet) turbines at South Stainmore, within the North Pennines AONB.

FRAWT – Feldon Residents And Wind Turbines [Starbold WF] - Group opposing the ‘Starbold Wind Farm’ proposal by Broadview Energy Ltd for six 100m plus turbines at Knightcote Farm, near Knightcote, Warwickshire.

STINC - Stop Turbines In North Cornwall - “We represent a growing number of local people who are seriously worried about the new wind developments currently being proposed for Davidstow, Hendraburnick, Otterham and the repowering of Delabole and are committed to stopping the construction of these and any further wind farms in North Cornwall.
“The group was formed at a public meeting of about 200 residents on 13th August 2007 at Clease Hall, Camelford. All of the committee members are local residents and are working for the group as volunteers.”

SHCG - Stonewall Hill and Reeves Hill Conservation Group - “Set up to co-ordinate actions and protect the tranquillity of Stonewall and Reeves hill [Herefordshire] which are under threat from wind power station developers.”

REVOLT - Resident Villagers Oppose Local Turbines - Local residents opposing scheme by Severn Trent Water to construct up to three 125m wind turbines in close proximity to homes at Burton Joyce, Stoke Bardolph, Gedling and Shelford, near Nottingham.

SWWAG - Sulgrave and Weston Windfarm Action Group - Group opposing a scheme by Enertrag to construct nine 125m (410 ft) wind turbines between the villages of Sulgrave and Weston, in South Northamptonshire.

SSWFAG - Stop Swinford Wind Farm Action Group - Group opposing a proposal by Nuon for 11 x 125 metre (410 ft.) turbines between the villages of Swinford and Walcote in Leicestershire.

Tallentire Area Action Group - Group opposing plans by Novera Energy to erect 5 massive wind turbines at Fleeter Wood close to Tallentire and Townhead, Dearham, in the Northern Fells of Cumbria.

TAG - Tivetshall Action Group - Group opposing a proposal by Enertrag for six 125m turbines close to Tivetshall St Mary and Dickleburgh, in South Norfolk.

2big2close (Trispen) - “2big2close is an association of Trispen and St Erme [Cornwall] residents who consider that Wind Turbines are fine in their proper place, but that this development is Too Big & Too Close to our homes.”

Two Moors Campaign [North Devon] - “ The beautiful southern fringes of the Exmoor National Park are under threat!”: Four developers are proposing 24 giant industrial wind turbines at Batsworthy Cross, Cross Moor, Three Moors and Bickham Moor.

4Villages (Upper Vaunces) - 4Villages is a group set up to oppose the Upper Vaunces proposal by TCI Renewables for three 125m turbines near the villages of Dickleburgh, Rushall, Pulham Market and Pulham St Mary in South Norfolk.

Visit Wales Now - Visit Wales and see the spectacular landscape!

VORTEX - Group fighting an application by Nuon Renewables for 7 x 105m turbines on a site at Poplar Lane, Bearstone, North Shropshire.

WARD - Weston Against Rural Destruction - Group opposing an application by a landowner for 3 x 120m turbines on a site at Weston , nr. Hitchin, North Hertfordshire.

KWBN - Keep Wigtown Bay Natural - “KWBN is dedicated to preserving the land- and seascape of Wigtown Bay and opposing inappropriate siting of industrial scale wind turbines.”

ThWART - The Wight Against Rural Turbines - “Dedicated to promoting renewable energy and preserving the Isle of Wight landscape through opposing the inappropriate siting of industrial wind turbines.”

Wind Farm Planning in Mid Wales - “A website providing the essential details of all Mid Wales’ operational, consented and proposed wind farms.”

Wind Farm Victims - “How a remote Welsh valley is under threat of being turned into an industrial zone. Read our story… and tell us yours!”

Wingates NOT Wind Farms - “‘Wingates Not Wind Farms’ action group is set up to fight the proposals by Novera Energy, Coronation Power and RES (UK) Ltd in their plans to build several wind farm sites which would envelope Wingates village and the surrounding area.”

WAIT - Winterton Against Inappropriate Turbines - “Group formed to counter the threat of wind turbines being placed within one kilometer of our community.” (North Lincolnshire).

Protect Winwick - Group opposing a proposal by E.ON UK at Winwick Warren for eight 126m turbines close to Winwick and West Haddon in Northamptonshire.

WWFO - Wolds WindFarm Opposition - A group of residents from Skerne, Hutton, Watton, Watton Carrs and Hutton Cranswick, in Yorkshire, opposing the construction of ten 125m turbines.

Stop Woodlane wind farm - Residents opposing plans by German windfarm developer, Prowind, for fourteen 125 metre (410ft) wind turbines between the villages of Birkin, West Haddlesey, Gateforth and Hillam, near Selby in North Yorkshire.

SWWAG - Stop Wyverstone Windfarm Action Group - Set up to oppose a proposal by Wind-power Renewables to build two 125m (410ft) wind turbines at Potash Farm, Wyverstone in Suffolk.

NO WAY - NO Windfarm At Yelvertoft - Group opposing a proposal by Your Energy Ltd to build eight 125m (410ft) wind turbines at Yelverton in the Daventry District of Northamptonshire.

Some Foreign Campaign Groups:

European Platform Against Windfarms (EPAW). An expression of the growing pan-European resistance to the industrialisation of landscapes with giant turbines.

Danish Society of Windmill Neighbours [English page of Landsforeningen Naboer til Vindmøller] - “A national voluntary association which tries to give politicians nationally and at local level a greater understanding of the problems that can affect neighbours of wind farms and to help solve them”.

Ventdubocage - Opposing industrial wind power in France. In French, lots of interesting links.

North American Platform Against Windpower (NA-PAW) - (NA-PAW) was created to stand for the interests of the ever-growing number of organizations and individuals in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, Canada, and the U.S.A. who:
- oppose individual wind energy or transmission line proposals;
- question the effectiveness of wind power in helping to solve our energy problems;
- work to protect wildlife and landscapes from industrial wind power development; and/or
- fight the damage of wind energy facilities to tourism, the economy, and people's quality of life, health, and amenity.
Wind Concerns Ontario. “WCO is a province-wide coalition (34 Citizen’s Groups from across 23 Counties/Districts) which promotes awareness of the true impacts of industrial wind power facilities on our health, environment, economy and quality of life.”

Better Plan, Rock County (BPRC), Wisconsin - “Whether you want wind turbines on your land, or whether you live near someone who does, you will need reliable information on lease agreements, set-back laws, changes in your insurance rates and liability coverage, changes in your property values, and documented health and safety concerns for people and livestock associated with living within a mile of industrial wind turbines.”

Save Western New York - “Save Western NY is a voluntary association of residents and property owners in the Town of Wethersfield. The group was formed in response to concerns about a proposal by Noble Environmental Power, LLC to install 67-70 wind turbines nearly 400 feet tall, lighted 24 hours a day, in the township.”

The Society for Wind Vigilance - “Advocates for Authoritative Wind Turbine Guidelines.”

Stopillwind.org - “An educational resource about industrial wind.”

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