Cold Ashby Views and Comment
Here the Cold Ashby Rambler posts articles on issues affecting the village.
Some will be his own - others will, hopefully, be those of other parishioners.
Current comments and ongoing discussion can be read, or your views added, on the Guestbook and Message Board or Cold Ashby Blogger page.
Those who are wanting to see 'views' in the sense of 'pictures' please go to the Gallery Page.
Useful links to relevant sites follow any comments.
The rambler strives for accuracy and will always correct any inadvertent errors, with an apology, if contacted.
Updates on Local Issues in Cold Ashby
Parking in Cold Ashby - click on the link for the latest on this controversial issue!
Winwick Windfarm
Six Turbines Approved for Winwick Wind Farm - what it really means.
The merest glance at the site map will reveal what the placement of the turbines will mean to walkers and riders using the popular network of byways, bridleways and footpaths in the region of Honey Hill, Cold Ashby and Winwick.
For all users the view will be dominated by six monstrous machines - each one 126.5 metres in height or, to use John Temple's analogy, twice the height of Nelson's Column with rotors spanning 93 metres - one and one third times the wingspan of a Jumbo Jet.
These are to be clustered to the North and West immediately behind the settlement at Winwick Warren.
Three of these machines are due to be constructed within about 200 - 300 metres of a public byway ( ancient green lane) open to all traffic, which passes through the middle of the site.
The Jurassic Way traveller will probably be about 600 metres from two turbines as she leaves Winwick for Honey Hill.
This is all within a region described, in the Northamptonshire Current Landscape Character Strategy, as 'the quintessential agricultural landscape of the Midlands with its broad sweeping undulating landform, rich and productive agricultural land contained by strong hedgerow enclosure, and a deeply rural character'.
Those of us who regularly use and enjoy this environment know that it will be damaged beyond repair for a minimum of 25 years.
And Winwick Wind Power Station (for ‘Farm’ it certainly is not !) is only a small cog in a potentially vast machine.
At the present rate of development there would seem to be little chance of avoiding these abominations in rural Northamptonshire.
The Rambler is fully aware of the government’s obligations re. sustainable energy sources and supports the development of sensitively planned offshore wind power - though he doesn’t want his favourite coastal walks ruined either!
The anger felt locally in Winwick and Cold Ashby stems from our knowledge that these so-called ‘farms’ are not sustainable without large subsidies from our tax and rising costs to us, the consumers of electricity.
Thus we are unavoidably contributing to the profits of alien conglomerates who, by way of ‘thanks’, use all their legal muscle to override the concerns, objections and feelings of Parish Meetings, Parish Councils, District Councils and constituency MPs.
This outcome is an insult to any romantic notions of ‘Localism’ and disgracefully snubs British Democracy itself.
Buses from Cold Ashby
Click on Latest Developments.
Since 5th September 2011 Cold Ashby has ‘disappeared’ from the regular bus timetables.
A new scheme has been introduced called ‘County Connect’ which is intended to provide residents of Cold Ashby with a book ahead link ( by phone, text or internet) to the main bus routes and/or local towns and villages.
The Rambler has joined the scheme and is awaiting his welcome pack before making his first booking and trip.
*A full report of this trip is now on the Blogger Page.
In order to participate it is necessary to register with the operators at http://www.county-connect.co.uk/ .
Winwick Wind Farm - The Rambler’s Response to E-on’s Planning Application
The Rambler has attended as many meetings and ‘exhibitions’ as he could; asked questions, listened to answers, heard opinions, expressed them, looked at the visuals and read the information.
From the morass of facts, figures, claims and counter-claims, two key issues have begun to emerge as those most specifically affecting Cold Ashby, its neighbouring villages and surrounding countryside:
The visual impact of the seven 125.6 M turbines (with 93M diameter revolving rotors) on our very special landscape and views from Honey Hill.
The impossible demands which construction, maintenance and ultimate decommissioning of the installation will make on the access routes.
These should, in the Rambler’s view, form the crux of our objections to the proposal.
Any further points, agreements or disagreements that readers may have would, as ever, be most gratefully received.
* Useful advice on what you should or should not include in your letter of objection is available at : http://stopthespin.org.uk/pb/wp_75ed1cf6/wp_75ed1cf6.html
The Rambler offers the following observations on the poor attendance at the open meeting called by Cold Ashby Parish Council re. the proposed erection of seven wind turbines to create Winwick Warren Wind Farm:
The original notice headed ‘Winwick Warren Wind Farm - This is important’ was intended to establish whether a meeting was necessary or not and the time, date and venue were, consequently, not known until responses had been received and analysed.
This meant that individuals were, effectively, asked to commit themselves to a meeting which they might not be able to attend, owing to prior commitments.
The meeting was finally called in the middle of the Half Term Week and, I believe, on the same evening as a rehearsal for the Village Pantomime.
These factors need to considered as possible explanations for the poor response.
They do not, however account for an attendance of only 15!
My own suspicion is that many of us are, understandably, reluctant to oppose apparently ‘Green’ developments, believing them necessary for the survival of the planet and the well-being of future generations. Nor do we wish to be regarded as ‘nimbyish’ Luddites, opposing technological change in our immediate environment. However, the case for inland wind farms is extremely weak. Their inefficiency is such that permanent back-up power sources will always be required - particularly when the wind either drops or blows too hard.
The Rambler strongly believes that any so-called ‘ green’ advantages attached to E-on’s proposal are miniscule compared to the drastic visual impact these 126.5 M high turbines will have on the beautiful stretch of undulating countryside around Winwick Warren.
We should unite in Cold Ashby to oppose this development - we have a responsibility to protect the countryside from this creeping industrialisation.
Winwick Wind Farm - useful links below:
http://www.protect-winwick.co.uk/
http://www.winwick.eu/
Link to Campaign to Protect Rural England