4.10). Only a more detailed study would reveal if these are natives or parvenus making
this a significantly different result from previous studies elsewhere ( cf Table 1.1); but they are likely to be best equipped to raise opposition to any project not to their liking (van der Horst & Toke 2010). Opponents to wind farm projects across the UK share a common set of concepts and materials which have been deployed locally against the Reeves HIll
development ( Country Guardian 2010 and ukplanning.com 2010), there is every reason to suppose that any new large scale scheme would be similarly contended. By every
indicator of likely planning dispute, Herefordshire is a high scoring county ( van der Horst & Toke 2010).
7.7 In the last decade there have been a number of government initiatives intended to
support and encourage communities to set up their own local renewable energy schemes (Walker et. al.2007). The failure of these schemes to deliver widespread significant results on the ground demands further study. A first blush examination of Clear Skies and Low Carbon Buildings schemes shows them massively over subscribed and placing high
demands on applicants; not encouraging to new community groups. The greatest barrier to community WECS projects appears to be lack of community capacity to act together. In this new age of politics with it's language of "Big Society" and local solutions perhaps the time is now come to initiate more capacity building for project development at village and estate level.
7.8 That the strongest supporters of medium scale WECS in the county include 30 to 50
year olds in the most advantaged groups (Figure 4.11); and that there may well be
thousands ready to invest (Table 4.9) are both strongly suggestive that both the individual
skills and adequate seed money exist locally to begin projects at the medium scale, if not larger. They just need joining up.
7.9 Finally, in the long term, only demand reduction is likely to produce a sustainable
solution to equity in energy availability ( Illich 1974, Mollison 1990, Kemp et. al.2010). Herefordshire may now be a desirable location to escape the pressures or consequences of a highly materialised technological economy; but it is also a favourable location for those attempting to create genuinely sustainable and equitable ways of life through new intentional communities and low impact developments. It remains to be seen how far either of these cohorts are willing or able to support projects which meet basic needs of the less fortunate, not only in major urban areas, but in the heart of the county itself.
APPENDIX 1
Letter as published in the Hereford Times August 20th 2009
"Small - scale schemes are a better way to get electricity"
In the Hereford Times (July23) you published an article which aired the concerns of the Friends of the Golden Valley campaign group about the potential development of large wind energy schemes in the county.
The Golden Valley Environment Group, with 120 members from Eywas Harold to Hay-on-Wye - shares their concern that the cumulative impact of very large schemes would dominate views of the Golden Valley and the Black
Mountains.
These are areas of high landscape value and are particularly sensitive to new developments because of the additional impacts of such schemes on the
adjacent Brecon Beacons National Park and any successful proposal would need to take this into account.
The development of successful renewable energy projects requires
sensitivity to the public's concern that while large scale schemes may be meeting the demands of the renewable energy industry they do so at the expense of other environmental and social concerns.
These fears will only be allayed by more transparent consultations and the encouragement of a range of alternative approaches.
The wind turbine industry has had too narrow a focus on the extreme ends of micro-generation ( with output up to 15 kW) or major schemes ( with outputs of 850 kW upwards) and needs to be encouraged to develop a range of intermediate technologies to fit different needs.
The distinction we would want to make is that there are alternatives to the mega schemes proposed by national energy companies to meeting sustainable energy needs.
The Golden Valley Environment Group would support in principle appropriate solutions for the development of smaller scale wind energy schemes in the county which respect environmental and landscape concerns and minimise their impact on local communities.
Wind energy schemes are an essential component of the diverse renewable energy mix needed to develop sustainable forms of electricity generation in order to meet the Government's carbon reduction targets for 2020.
In our view, the county should support the principle of renewable energy schemes which encourage proposals for medium and relatively small groupings of,possibly, community owned wind turbines in rural, urban and industrial areas.
The potential for smaller scale schemes and their distribution would also need to be evaluated against environmental and landscape impacts and the degree to which local communities would be involved in designing, financing and managing such schemes.
Peter Gunn-Wilkinson
APPENDIX 2
Field trial of survey materials