The Spalding Guardian reported today that South Holland District Council has won liability orders to recover £110,000 outstanding in unpaid business rates and council tax.

Jane and Julian Davis travel the UK and abroad to speak out against wind farms and advise people who want to object to local wind farm proposals.

The Davis’ reportedly owe over £1000 to their local council in respect of the house they claim is uninhabitable due to nearby wind turbines. According to the Spalding Guardian the district valuer has the power to take the house off the list so council tax no longer falls due – but the case can only be pursued by Mr and Mrs Davis.

The Davis’ are currently seeking £2.5m compensation for ‘loss and damage to their amenity‘ in the High Court due to wind turbine noise. The couple bought the property in Lincolnshire with 0.4 acre grounds from Lincolnshire County Council in 1996. They say the property is now only worth £30-£50,000 and ‘unmarketable‘.

The environmental health officer at South Holland Council has confirmed that no other residents of Deeping St Nicholas have submitted formal complaints and that the wind farm has been monitored and confirmed not to be causing a statutory noise nuisance. The High Court hearing commenced in July and is due to reconvene in November.

The wind farm landowners and operators: RC Tinsley Ltd, Nicholas Watts, Fenland Windfarms Ltd and Fenland Green Power Cooperative Ltd say that the turbines have not created any noise nuisance.

The purchase of Kildrummy wind farm in Scotland was completed under a framework agreement with German utility giant RWE. The 8 wind turbine, c. 18 Megawatt wind farm is located 50km west of Aberdeen and construction is due to start in early 2012. The wind farm construction contract negotiation is currently underway.

The first wind farm to be sold off by RWE to Renerco was the 5 turbine, 15 Megawatt Earls Hall Wind Farm, near Clacton on Sea in Essex. Both wind farms were consented in 2009. The sale is rumoured to have been worth £7m.

RWE is one of the UK’s largest wind farm developer – owner – operators but is currently trying to sell off assets.

Renerco Renewable Energy Concepts AG is a company of BayWa r.e group and is now expanding outside of the German domestic market. Renerco sells project development, planning and turnkey construction services, together with technical and commercial operations management. The company supports investment and leasing companies, banking institutions and institutional investors with technical services.

Trump is concerned about the effects of the 11 offshore wind turbines on his nearly completed Aberdeen coast golf course, ‘residential village’ and hotel development.

According to Bloomberg Trump wrote in an email “I am very disappointed that Scotland may allow the development of a wind power plant directly off Aberdeen’s beautiful coastline“.

In a previous statement Trump wrote “I was repeatedly promised, as an incentive for us to go forward and proceed with this (golf course) project, that wind turbines would not be destroying and distorting the magnificent coastline,”.

“Unfortunately, despite these prior assurances that the wind project would not proceed, I am now learning that this issue has again raised its ugly head,” he said.

The proposed 11 ‘next generation’ offshore wind turbines will be part of a test project called the ‘European offshore wind deployment centre’ (EOWDC) proposed by Vattenfall, Technip and Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group. The Joint Venture submitted their consent application for the wind turbines off Aberdeen Bay to Marine Scotland earlier this month.

Morag McCorkindale, Chief Operating Officer at AREG, said: “As Europe’s energy capital, Aberdeen City and Shire is the ideal location for the EOWDC. The region has an offshore oil and gas supply chain unrivalled in the eastern Hemisphere and therefore has the highest concentration of energy expertise, experience, skills and technology. This industrial-scale know-how is crucial to the development of marine renewables, and in the short-term particularly, offshore wind.

Trump secured government approval for his £1 billion Aberdeen golf course development in 2008 despite strong objections from green groups and the RSPB. The development is near completion.

Photo: Ben Barden

Meerwind wind farm will see a total investment of 1.2 billion Euros when it is built in 2013. It has been a long journey for the project which was proposed back in 2000 and approved in 2007.

The project financing was managed by Blackstone who set up the portfolio company WindMW to fund the wind farm. The wind farm has attracted green investment from Santander and Siemens Bank, Lloyds Banking Group, Commerzbank, KfW IPEX-Bank, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Dexia and also EKF, the export credit agency of Denmark, and KfW-Bankengruppe.

Peter Giller, WindMW Board Member said: “The German government has demonstrated tremendous leadership in supporting private offshore wind development and we are pleased that Meerwind is the first project to reach financial close under the visionary KfW programme. With the development of Meerwind, we are able to support Germany in meeting it’s green energy targets.”

Meerwind offshore wind farm comprises 80 wind turbines with a total capacity of 288 Megawatts. According to WindMW the offshore wind turbines will generate enough power to service approximately 400,000 homes, offsetting the emission of approximately 1 billion tons of Co2 annually.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced a new initiative dubbed ‘Smart from the Start’ with the purpose of selecting the best sites for offshore wind farms. The initiative is based on regulatory change designed to speed up the permitting and leasing of offshore wind sites leading to speedier wind farm delivery.

Green jobs and a stake in the offshore wind economy appear to be the main motivators. Salazar said:
“If we are wise with our planning, we can help build a robust and environmentally responsible offshore renewable energy program that creates jobs here at home.”

American Wind Energy Association CEO Denise Bode said:
“AWEA applauds Secretary Salazar for his leadership in offshore wind. Efforts to rationalize the multi-step permitting process for offshore wind projects are essential for Eastern states to be able to take advantage of this excellent resource. As the pipeline of projects begin to move forward more rapidly, the environmental and economic benefits of offshore wind, including manufacturing facilities and associated jobs, can be realized.”

A report, produced by Garrard Hassan and commissioned by RenewableUK says that England has the potential to see £1.3bn in investment that will directly create jobs and opportunities for local companies, funds for community activities and increased business rates for local authorities. However according to RenewableUK this is being threatened by the actions of anti-wind farm campaigners. The £1.3bn figure represents money that would flow directly to businesses and organisations at the local and regional level.

The report findings were broadcasted at RenewableUK’s conference in Glasgow this week. The investment opportunities in England are outlined in the report with figures are based on onshore wind farm developments seeking planning consent in England at the present time. The aim of the report was to quantify the financial benefits of wind energy to England’s regions.

The report highlights the capital expenditure opportunities for local companies engaged in construction, and the ongoing maintenance opportunities for local engineering companies during the lifespan of all wind farms. In addition, through plans that are under consideration by the government, renewable energy projects will be able to provide 100% of business rates payable to local authorities, and local community initiatives will be supported financially through funds agreed at part of the planning process.

Maria McCaffery MBE, Chief Executive of RenewableUK said:

“The UK wind energy industry is already bringing investment and jobs for local people and companies all across the country, and can deliver many more financial benefits in the years ahead. Aesthetic concerns may often be the grounds for refusal of windfarm developments at planning stage, but they can also be seen as selfish concerns when considered against the tangible benefits that wind energy can bring, not only for the benefit of the environment but just as importantly for local jobs and funds for investment, ongoing for the entire lifespan of a wind farm development. By halting developments, anti-wind farm campaigners are doing their local communities a disservice, and one that no-one can afford in these difficult economic times“.

The Sustainable Energy Alliance (SEA) supported Lindhurst wind farm, just outside the town of Mansfield from the early planning stages.  The wind farm had over 3000 letters of support from local people.

The 5 turbine wind farm will generate enough renewable electricity to provide for the annual average needs of around 5000 homes.

SEA coordinator, Jonathan Lincoln who grew up in Mansfield said:

“To lessen the worst effects of man-made climate change, action must be taken now to reduce the amounts of greenhouse gases we discharge into the atmosphere.  Energy conservation and renewable technologies, such as wind, wave, solar and hydro, offer us a solution.  Of these, wind power, both on and offshore is the most easily implemented and the most cost effective.  It must and will play a key role in our energy mix.  The building of this wind farm in a bid to reduce carbon dioxide emissions is a step in the right direction and a step towards a truly sustainable energy future in Notts.”

Wind power provides a clear opportunity to produce clean and sustainable energy and it works!  Britain has the best wind resource in Europe and the potential to develop a world class wind industry.  Furthermore, we have a responsibility and a binding commitment to international agreements designed to address climate change, and these commitments must be taken seriously.”

Despite being within 500 metres of nearby homes a spokesperson for the owner of the wind farm RWE npower said that there had only been one complaint about the wind farm.  The complaint related to TV interference which was being remedied by the company.

Councillor Chapman was left a phone message at 9pm on the day before the planning meeting to consider two wind farm applications.  The message left was “If you vote for the wind farms you will forever be looking over your shoulder“.

Despite recieving more than 430 letters of support, the Spaldington Airfield wind farm application in the East Riding of Yorkshire was refused on Thursday, together with a nearby wind farm at Spaldington Common.  The Spaldington Airfield wind farm, proposed by wind farm developer Coriolis Energy had more letters of support than opposition and was recommended for approval by East Riding’s planning officer.

Coriolis Development Director Vicky Portwain said:

“It is upsetting that Councillors failed to take into consideration the environmental and energy benefits of the Spaldington Airfield wind farm.  We believe that the wrong decision was made and that decision makers need to be bold when dealing with renewable energy proposals that meet policy requirements.  We will now consider our options, including that of appealing the decision“.

Both local residents and environmental campaigners spoke in favour of the application, however other local residents, including Conservative MP David Davis who lives under a mile from the proposed wind farm opposed the scheme.

Den Brook wind farm, near Crediton in Devon was first proposed five years ago.  After being given the go- ahead by the Planning Inspectorate at appeal, challenges were mounted by resident Mr Hulme against the Government’s decision.  The latest judge to consider the case – Frances Patterson QC however rejected all 10 reasons for the high court challenge, concluding that the decision to grant consent for the 9 wind turbines was ‘thorough and reasonable’.

Helen Hall, project manager for wind farm company RES told the BBC: “We are really pleased that a line has finally been drawn, at the highest level, under any doubts about this wind farm.

“The project has been given planning consent twice after two detailed public inquiries and has also been the subject of two High Court challenges.”

The decision on Den Brook comes after a failed High Court challenge made by Brian and Rebecca Barnes last month in an attempt to stop a Cumbrian wind farm.  The six turbine Armistead wind farm put forward by Banks Renewables was given a second green light leaving the complainant couple with a court bill of £15,000 in addition to lawyer’s fees.

The company suffered net losses of 119m euros in the second quarter, down from a profit of 43m euros one year ago according to the BBC.

Vestas expects a substantial new wind farm contract in China to help soften the blow of postponed orders in Europe and the US.

Spanish wind turbine manufacturer Gamesa also experienced a drop in share price on Wednesday.