Letters of Objection

Your help is desperately needed now to object to the recent planning application by McAlpine/RES to build four massive wind turbines in the Warwickshire heritage and wildlife beauty spot of the Upper Swift Valley, adjacent to Churchover and Cotesbach and which will be visible from miles around.

What do I need to do?

We recommend that you send a brief email or a letter of objection to the Rugby planners objecting to the new application (Ref No: R15/0908). The details of who to send it to are below. The time limit for objections is June 11th 2015.

 

The planners are human beings(!), and can be swayed, so be as personal and emotional as you like, while including at least one or two points which are clear grounds for objection from a planning law perspective as given below.

You do not have to live locally for your objection to be relevant and helpful. The more objections the better from all round the country.

Remember to mention your name, your address and R15/0908

Email objections should be sent to:

nathan.lowde@rugby.gov.uk

(If you send an email objection, do please 'blind copy' (bcc) info@aswar.org.uk so that we can monitor and make sure objections don't 'get lost'.)

Postal objections should be sent to:

Mr Nathan Lowde
Rugby Borough Council
Town Hall
Evreux Way
Rugby
CV21 2RR

What should I include in the objection email/letter?

Below is a standard letter that you can copy and paste adding your name and address.

Dear Mr Lowde,

I object to the application R15/0908 to build four enormous wind turbines in one of Warwickshire’s heritage and wildlife beauty spots in the Upper Swift Valley.  The proposal will completely dominate the Churchover village conservation area and its Listed Buildings, especially Holy Trinity church, and do untold damage to the living conditions of those nearby and the peaceful and unspoilt rural valley.

Please recommend rejection to the Planning Committee and support the local community that is against this proposed ruination of the conservation landscape. 

Name:

Address:


Click here to have a look at some of the letters of objection already sent.

Reasons for objection from a planning law perspective:-

  • unacceptable adverse impact upon an unspoilt area of Swift Valley landscape, both from the scheme itself and in combination with the numerous other turbines visible around the valley and nearby homes.
  • unacceptable domination of the Listed Building of Holy Trinity Church, other listed buildings and the Conservation Area as a whole
  • interference with peaceful enjoyment of the countryside e.g. proximity to public Rights of Way
  • interference with peaceful enjoyment of one's own property - including obtrusiveness from gardens and through windows of habitable rooms
  • harm to wildlife and the grassland flood valley that is under consideration for County status wildlife site
  • harm to archaeology in particular the mediaeval ridge-and-furrow landscape.
  • Unacceptible and obtrusive noise and the health hazard associated with Amplitude Modulation (AM) and Low Frequency Noise (LFN)

Other reasons for objecting:- 

  • The turbines are five times the height of the 1,000 year old listed church in the conservation village of Churchover and will change the historic setting of the area.
  • The present unity of the whole - farmland, river and settlement, - is remarkably pure.  The relationship there has been for 1,000 years between the church, the village and the land will be destroyed.
  • The turbines with their noise will be only about half a mile from a number of residences whose views will be spoilt and whose health will be threatened.
  • The amenity value of the rights of way across the beautiful Upper Swift Valley will be ruined.
  • Negative cumulative visual impact. Does Rugby want to be known as the windfarm capital of the Midlands? Presently there is an Eastern and northern cumulative windfarm landscape. This application will extend it to the north west. A new recent three turbine application at Harborough Magna will extend the cumulative effect to the west.
  • The turbines will ruin the wildlife and kill birds and bats.
  • The economic scam of wind turbines is driving people into fuel poverty. Many of the elderly can't keep warm and a record number died last winter. In the last five years 200,000 people have died from cold, while 10,000 died from heat.
  • The economic scam of wind turbines is driving manufacturing jobs overseas, many to America. Each windfarm job created is subsidised by £100,000 from your electricity bills every year. 
  • There are lots more...READ HERE ASWAR's initial response and Click on 'The arguments' on the top navigation board and read up-to-date articles on 'Noise and health', 'property values', 'safety', 'ecology and wildlife', 'landscape assessment', 'wind economics'.
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