Summary
This paper measures the diversity of environmental impacts inherent within a proposal by the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) to build a demonstration wind farm at Langdon Common in the North Pennines, UK. This assessment was made in April, 1989 in the wake of the European Community Directive on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and its subsequent interpretation within the UK Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations (1988).
Langdon Common lies within an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ (AONB) and within a ‘Site of Special Scientific Interest’ (SSSI). These designations create a contentious choice of site made by the CEGB and the extent of environmental impact is subsequently made more broad. While the conclusions drawn are specific to Langdon Common, the methodology evolved within the project lends itself to further application to other sites in the future. The following Environmental Impact Assessment can, therefore, be seen as a step towards the reconciliation of the acceptable siting of wind turbines in the UK and the capacity of the planning system to regulate such development.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Central Electricity Generating Board. 1988a. Wind Parks in Britain.Carmarthen Bay Wind Energy Demonstration Centre Fact Sheet. CEGB.
Central Electricity Generating Board. 1988b. VAWT 450 25 Metre Vertical Axis Wind Turbine.Carmarthen Bay Wind Energy Demonstration Centre Fact Sheet. CEGB.
Central Electricity Generating Board. 1988c. Wind Energy Group MS—3.Carmarthen Bay Wind Energy Demonstration Centre Fact Sheet. CEGB.
Central Electricity Generating Board. 1988d. The Augmented Wind Turbine.Carmarthen Bay Wind Energy Demonstration Centre Fact Sheet. CEGB.
Central Electricity Generating Board. 1988e. HWP 300/28 Wind Turbine.Carmarthen Bay Wind Energy Demonstration Centre Fact Sheet. CEGB.
Chignell, R.J. 1986. Electromagnetic Interference from Wind Energy Conversion Systems — Preliminary Information. In: Palz, W. and Sesto, E. (eds),EWEC Conference and Exhibition, 7–9 October 1986, pp.583–6, A. Raguzzi, Bookshop for Scientific Publications, Rome.
Clarke, A. 1988.Wind Farm Location and Environmental Impact, NATTA, Open University, Charter for Renewable Energy, Milton Keynes.
Davidson, R. 1987. Parachutes Fail on Wincon Runway.Windpower Monthly News Magazine, January 1987,1, 9.
Department of the Environment. 1988.Environmental Assessment, Circular 15/88, HMSO, London.
Durham County Council. 1976.Report of Survey, Part IV. Durham County Council, Durham.
Durham County Council. 1981.Durham County Structure Plan. Durham County Council, Durham.
Eaton, J.L., Black, R.I. and Taylor, G.H. 1983.Interference to Television Reception from Large Wind Turbines. Research Department, Engineering Division, British Broadcasting Corporation, London.
Grubb, M.J. 1988. The Potential for Wind Energy in Britain.Energy Policy, December 1988, 594–607.
Harrison, L. 1987. Six Rotors on the Loose.Windpower Monthly News Magazine, November 1987,11, 10.
Hopkins, J. 1984. A Seminar on the Future of the Durham Dales (October 11th 1984). Report of Proceedings. Durham County Planning Department, Durham.
Lubbers, F. 1988. Research Program Concerning the Social and Environmental Aspects Related to the Windfarm Project of the Dutch Electricity Generating Board.European Wind Energy Conference, 6–10 June 1988. H.S. Stephens and Associates.
Mead, C.J. 1982.The Possible Impacts of Wind Power Generators on Flying Birds, Research Report No.6. British Trust for Ornithology.
National Swedish Board for Energy Development. 1980.Aesthetic Factors and Visual Effects of Large Scale Wind Energy Conversion Systems. NSBED, Sweden.
Nature Conservancy Council. 1988.Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Nature Conservancy Council.
Pigott, C.D. 1978. In: Clapham (ed),Upper Teesdale, The Area and its Natural History, pp.102–106. Collins.
Ratcliffe, D.A. 1977.A Nature Conservation Review, Vol.2. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Roberts, B.K. 1978. In: Clapham (ed),Upper Teesdale, The Area and its Natural History, pp.159. Collins.
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. 1988. Inquiry into Alternative Energy Sources. The House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities.Conservation Topic Paper, March 1988,22, 9.
Surman, P.L. and Millborrow, D.J. 1988. The UK Wind Energy Programme. In: Millborrow, D.J. (ed.),Wind Energy Conversion, Proceedings of the Tenth BWEA Wind Energy Conference, pp.9–13. Mechanical Engineering Publications Ltd.
Tolland, H.G. and Bedford, L.A.W. 1984.Wind Energy and the Environment. Energy Technology Support Unit, Harwell.
Wathern, P. 1984. Ecological Modelling in Impact Analysis. In: Roberts, R.D. and Roberts, T.M. (eds),Planning and Ecology, p.94, Chapman and Hall.
Winkelman, J.E. 1984.Bird Hindrance from Medium Sized Wind Turbines. Rijksinstituut voor Natuurbeheer Arnhem, Holland.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This paper by Alex Steele received the Institution of Environmental Sciences award and First Prize for the best undergraduate environmental project in the UK in 1989. Alex Steele graduated from Sunderland Polytechnic in that year and now works as an Environmental Planner for a leading company of Environmental Management Consultants.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Steele, A. An environmental impact assessment of the proposal to build a wind farm at Langdon Common in the North Pennines, UK. Environmentalist 11, 195–212 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01263233
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01263233