[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22791815

Local communities are to be given more powers to block onshore wind farms, but also offered greater incentives to accept them, the government says.

Planning guidance in England will be changed to ensure local opposition can override national energy targets.

But the measures will see a five-fold rise in the benefits paid by developers to communities hosting wind farms.

The subsidies - worth about £100,000 a year from a medium-sized farm - could be used to reduce energy bills.

Alternatively, the money could pay for energy efficiencies in the host community or fund other local initiatives.

The government said the measures would ensure local communities had a greater stake in the planning process.

It said it expected the energy industry to improve its community benefit packages by the end of the year.

This increase will be from £1,000 per megawatt (MW) of installed capacity per year, to £5,000 per MW per year, for the lifetime of the wind farm.

This means a medium-sized 20 MW wind farm could produce a benefits package to the local community worth £100,000 a year.

It will be up to local communities and developers to decide how any money is spent.

For example, a similar scheme run by the wind farm company RES at its Meikle Carewe operation, near Aberdeen, will see local residents get £122 off their annual electricity bills.

Blimey, somebody comes up with a sensible compromise .....

Roger Harrabin

Environment analyst

It is with exquisite timing that the government announces it will make it harder to build wind farms today - World Environment Day.

If there were to be a major fall in the number of wind farms being built it would present a problem for the government's long-term legally binding targets on cutting CO2 emissions.

It would also result in a rise in bills, as onshore wind is by by far cheaper than offshore wind or nuclear.

Having said that, it clearly makes sense for developers to compensate people whose house value is lowered by turbines, and to consult much better. Green groups would support all that.

Other European countries avoided mass wind farm protests because they ensured that locals benefited. In Denmark a wind power revolution was driven by community ownership - every village wanted its own turbine.

Just like having a windmill in th'owd days .....

[Kizzy]

£122 is nothing, energy has risen so much and may well do so again this year... that figure is worthless.
It just a way to get residents onside with the developers and against those opposed having said that it is better than nuclear, so....

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

£122 is nothing, energy has risen so much and may well do so again this year... that figure is worthless.

Well, YOU may be rich, but I'M poor and £122 represents free energy for a month .....

[Nedusa]

Originally Posted by Omah

Well, YOU may be rich, but I'M poor and £122 represents free energy for a month .....

I thought energy was free on Tralfamadore......!!!!

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Omah

Well, YOU may be rich, but I'M poor and £122 represents free energy for a month .....

It's under £2.50pw, and as I sai if the gas prices are raised again this year will be nada.
solar on your roof is the way to go, except the government in their wisdom reduced the feed in tariff.
You don't actually believe they are doing this for green reasons do you

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

I thought energy was free on Tralfamadore......!!!!

Tralfamadorians are beings who exist in all times simultaneously - they ARE energy - the only way "guests", such as myself, can keep warm on the planet is by having lots of sex with voluptuous Hollywood starlets .....

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

It's under £2.50pw, and as I sai if the gas prices are raised again this year will be nada:

So you ARE rich .....

[Harry!]

In my opinion people need to stop complaining about the "ugliness" of wind turbines, who cares if it spoils a pretty view this is helping save the environment.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Omah

So you ARE rich .....

How did you get to that from what I said?...

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

How did you get to that from what I said?...

Originally Posted by Kizzy

£122 is nothing ... that figure is worthless.....

[Jack_]

Originally Posted by Harry!

In my opinion people need to stop complaining about the "ugliness" of wind turbines, who cares if it spoils a pretty view this is helping save the environment.

You have a good head on you Harry.

[Harry!]

Originally Posted by Jack_

You have a good head on you Harry.

I am very against nuclear power but that is another thing all together.

[Niall]

I'd like to see the reactions of those that complain about wind turbines if they started building a nuclear power plant near them instead.

Honestly, it's the most moronic reason to oppose such an abundant, and clean source of energy. It's like saying "Oh I don't like treated water because it tastes weird, so that treatment plant should be shut down!"

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Omah

Still don't know why me saying that means I'm loaded?

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Harry!

In my opinion people need to stop complaining about the "ugliness" of wind turbines, who cares if it spoils a pretty view this is helping save the environment.

You'd be so surprised how this view isn't appreciated by so many people. Especially those in rural areas, from experience of working in the planning world it's ridiculous how stubborn some people can be, and I'm going to generalise (because I feel comfortable in my generalisation) it's mainly the older people in communities who kick up a fuss. It's painful having to read consultation responses from people like that. Painful.

[Marc]

Kizzy buy me new shoes

[Me. I Am Salman]

I don't think they're ugly, I find them pretty soothing to look at lol

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Still don't know why me saying that means I'm loaded?

That's because you are, presumably, rich and have no concept of fuel poverty .....

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Marc

You'd be so surprised how this view isn't appreciated by so many people. Especially those in rural areas, from experience of working in the planning world it's ridiculous how stubborn some people can be, and I'm going to generalise (because I feel comfortable in my generalisation) it's mainly the older people in communities who kick up a fuss. It's painful having to read consultation responses from people like that. Painful.

If we're generalising, from my experience in the planning world, so-called planners haven't got a clue how the "other half" live, especially long-established residents in rural communities. Most so-called planners are emotionless jobsworths building up hefty pensions to buy substantial retirement properties at inflated prices in the Lake District or the South of France .....

[Nedusa]

Originally Posted by Harry!

In my opinion people need to stop complaining about the "ugliness" of wind turbines, who cares if it spoils a pretty view this is helping save the environment.

So you "save" the Environment by destroying the Environment ???

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Omah

That's because you are, presumably, rich and have no concept of fuel poverty .....

I'm on benefits and prepayment meters for my gas and electricity actually...
Looks like you're buying your own shoes marc haha.

[billy123]

I would be pissed off if they wanted to put one near where i live they make a right racket they sound like an aeroplane circling your house 24 hours a day.

Youtube video

Its easy to be all judgmental and bitch about people who object to them when its not you that would have to live next to one.
Unless you are living next to one and happy with it your point is sort of invalid.

Kizzy is right that £122 is nothing in the sense that you would have to live with the constant noise and the presence of them would likely have a detrimental effect on the value of your home if you were to sell it in the future.