Broadview

< Back to all project news 17 Feb 2010 - Spring Farm Ridge Broadview Energy investigating site east of Banbury for a small wind farm

Broadview Energy Limited is considering the development of a small wind farm, on land approximately ten miles east of Banbury, near the B425 between the villages of Greatworth and Helmdon. Initial investigations by Broadview Energy suggest that the site, to be known as Spring Farm Ridge, has the potential to accommodate up to six wind turbines.

Broadview Energy has met with local Parish Councils to outline the project and the steps that it will take to evaluate the suitability of the site. The company has also written to over 7,500 households in the area about the project and it plans to hold a “drop-in” session where members of the public can learn more about the project and wind power in general, as well as meet and question members of the Broadview team.

The drop-in session will take place on Tuesday, March 2nd (4.00pm till 8.00pm) at Marston St Lawrence Village Hall, Marston St Lawrence OX17 2DB.

As part of the development of the proposal, a scoping report has been submitted to South Northamptonshire District Council, the local planning authority. The Council is presently consulting various organisations such as Natural England, the Environment Agency and the Highways Agency about the scoping report. The results of this exercise will inform the scope of studies to be carried out as part of the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

Jeffrey Corrigan, Managing Director of Broadview Energy, said: “We are sharing our plans with the local community at a very early stage, and will liaise closely with the District and Parish Councils as we carry out our environmental and technical studies. Public consultation, and explaining our reasons for choosing the site, the need for onshore wind power and the benefits that a wind farm can bring to the area, is a very important part of the development process.”

Later in the year, Broadview Energy will host a visit to an operational wind farm for interested residents, Parish and District Councillors. Broadview will also provide regular updates as the proposal progresses, part of which will include the setting up of a website (www.springfarmridge.co.uk) which will go live at the beginning of March.

Jeffrey Corrigan added: “We are at a very early stage in the process but our initial assessments suggest that Spring Farm Ridge could be a very good site for a small wind farm. However we can’t be 100% sure until we have carried out very detailed work to confirm our initial views.”

The Environmental Impact Assessment process, consultations with the local councils, local people, and statutory and non statutory organisations will establish the viability, size and location of the wind farm and whether or not Broadview will apply to South Northamptonshire District Council for planning permission.

 

For media enquiries, please contact:
Paul Taylor at Taylor Keogh Communications (paul@taylorkeogh.com / 020 3170 8466) Lisa Ross at Broadview Energy Limited (lross@broadviewenergy.com / 020 8487 9150)

 

Notes to Editors:

• Broadview Energy Limited (www.broadviewenergy.com) develops wind energy projects in the United Kingdom that generate clean and sustainable energy. Broadview takes projects from site identification, through the planning process, to construction and ultimately operation. The company focuses on small projects, typically between two and ten turbines. It currently has a number of projects under various stages of development throughout the United Kingdom.
• The Government published its Renewable Energy Strategy in July 2009 and has set a revised target of 30% of all the electricity produced in the UK to be from renewable sources by 2020; currently the figures sit at approximately 5%.