Bethan

Have you seen the latest!!
BT (openreach) - regarding providing a broadband connection to the site, are "looking at having the work complete by no later than 30/06/2017. We will provide you with progress updates as the job progresses."
No-one will bet on this happening! Based on their performance to date!
Nick Willians (Berry's) now says that " the mast and related foundations will be removed from the site prior to 12th October 2017 regardless of whether a fiber connection is on site or not.."
It, therefore, begs the question why put it up in the first place???  
Why did they seem so dependent on BT providing a connection in the first place???

Just read the GREAT NEWS!
Lets hope that this second refusal will stick and that the appalling saga is now closed. If Elgin wish to continue they must either find a way of making it more economically viable or withdraw.

Most definitely it should continue. Advertising will certainly help. Anyone wishing to know more, and uncertain about accessing the site on a computer, I'm sure can get all the help they need by dropping in to the Pavilion (Gobowen Playing Fields) on a Thursday mornings (10 til 12). Everyone is very helpful, enthusiastic, and very willing to assist -
 (AND IT'S FREE!!!)

Reading the agenda for tomorrow's Council Meeting , the chairman is only allowing 15 mins. for Public participation!!
Shame really,This project that will have such a detrimental effect on our precious countryside. Surely it would be courteous to allow the public more that 15 minutes to voice their opinion!

It is regrettable that the 5MW application, approved last December, does not also  include an agricultural plan.
 
One of the reasons in the statement made by the Secretary of State,made when dismissing an appeal against the refusal of planning permission at Parkham Old Hall reads :
 
  The Secretary of State also found the 25 years’ loss of agricultural land (there were no definitive plans for agricultural use alongside the development) “counts against the proposal”.
 
 

Extracts from an article published 9 months ago by CPRE


 


When you look at the economics, the reality is that most renewables just don’t work,                          
by Mike Greene, businessman, philanthropist and campaigner


 
I’m not against renewable energy. As a matter of fact, I have solar panels on the roof of my house. But when you look at the economics, the reality is that most renewables just don’t work – and are unlikely to ever work – if you take away the subsidies that come with setting them up Many local councils are keen to invest in solar energy because it’s seen as an easy win.
They are not driving these plans forward because of any green credentials; by slapping down solar panels they can gain access to Government funding and low-interest loans.

The subsidies involved are huge, because solar and wind energy still aren’t viable without them. One of the key arguments for renewables is the increasing cost of energy. The thing that seems to be ignored is that food prices are predicted to grow at a much higher rate than energy prices. At the moment, our supermarkets are in a strong negotiating position and can dictate cheap prices. But as consumption increases in China, India and Africa, the countries we import so much of our food from will increasingly be able to sell all their produce at home. We’re in a better position to grow crops than many countries, but if we haven’t kept our farmland, we’re going to be even shorter of food.

 
Our prime, or even secondary, agricultural land is the last place we should be looking to build solar or wind farms.

 
All the projected profits of the schemes are based on the optimistic, or naive, assumption that the solar panels will last 25 years with hardly any degradation in efficiency. With set-up costs being so high, profit could easily turn into a loss. Meanwhile, tenant farmers whose families have been working this land for five generations are being given notice to leave to make way for energy parks. They’ve sunk their life savings into their farms, and would receive minimal compensation. If you’re going to have solar, put it on top of buildings, not in the countryside. 

 
 If we’re going to subsidise things, let’s subsidise roof tiles that work as solar panels, and look at whether solar could be built into the planning  of all new housing. That’s not going to impact visually on the beautiful countryside, or harm farming, but it could help to generate energy for individual properties and feed something back to the National Grid. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

That's right ROBMIT.
If anyone wants to make representations to the Inspectorate directly, they can do it online using the following address :
acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/caseSearch.aspx
The case number is : 3142392
It's not too difficult, but worth the effort. The more people who use it will reflect the depth of resistance/objections there is to the deprivation of our lovely Shropshire countryside.

I understand that the Special Meeting is going to be held in Gobowen on 1st March at 7.00 pm at the Pavilion.
I hope many readers will read the 'activity' page on this website, and be encouraged to support the campaign to stop the further industrialisation of good quality agricultural land and retain  local amenities for future generations. It is vital that as many residents as possible voice/write their views to reflect the passion we have to protecting our beautiful Shropshire countryside.
Solar Energy should be generated on Roofs not in Fields

Keith knew the rules for declaring vested interests. He's been under investigation since the summer. Why didn't he resign then?

Just read this in the Documents - Background papers - 'FURTHER INFORMATION RE NOISE' on the new application (15/03975/FUL)
Dear Kelvin,
Following the comments of the Public Protection Officer please find in the below email further information in respect of noise and mitigation.
As far as I am aware there are no other outstanding issues at this point. Could the remaining consultees please be chased up as their consultation expiry date passed a number of weeks back.
My client has informed me that it is absolutely pivotal that the application goes to the 22nd December 2015 North Planning Committee in order to allow a build out prior to April 2016 (if approved). The project cannot extend beyond this timeframe due to the ROC subsidy cuts due to come into force at the start of April 2016.
Please do contact me at the earliest opportunity should you require any further information.
Kind regards
Nick
Putting pressure on the Planners AGAIN - I hope Kelvin's shoulders are broad enough!!
 

Agreed, but surely Parish Councils can make suggestions? S C C (Shropshire County Council) can make justifiable design demands without any difficulties!
Read an article yesterday - worth considering :
Imagine if you were thinking of buying a new house, and found it didn't have a shower and wash basins in the bathroom. And they hadn't bothered to put electricity plugs and light sockets in the spare bedrooms. If you wanted these items you would have to fit them yourself. When you asked the salesman about this skimping on essentials, he said it saved you £3000, so you should be grateful. This wasn't so far from the state of things as recently as the 1960s. Many homes did not have central heating. It had to be messily added on a few years later, and at considerable cost.

Today we expect new homes to be finished with those details throughout. So why are most new homebuyers deprived of an additional, and very useful, feature, a source of free energy that will continue to deliver, with little or no maintenance for many years to come?

I think making volume builders fit solar panels to all new homes is such a blindingly obvious, and simple, green initiative by the government that I struggle to fathom why they don't do it. It's even more puzzling when you consider those panels could help the UK meet legally-binding Co2 reduction targets. In the village where I live, I've noted the outbreak of shiny panels on roofs, from old to newish, over the past four years. They are on former council houses, 19th century cottages, and all sorts of postwar properties and some shops and industrial buildings.

The only place you don't see panels is on historic, often listed properties (understandable), and on the roofs of those several hundred brand-new homes built over the past four years or so. Quite baffling.

The builder, I'm sure, will have done whatever building regulations dictate to achieve energy efficiency. There will be double glazing, hot tank lagging, attic insulation and draught proofing. But not a single solar panel, unless the buyers fitted them themselves afterwards. And retrofitting is actually less likely because the last thing new owners want to do is shell out on an add-on to a new house, particularly one they could have had in the first place, after they have arranged the mortgage and started the repayments.

For those who are unaware : 
 
There will be a Sellatyn & Gobowen Parish Council Meeting next Wednesday (11th March)
and it will take place at The Hall, Selattyn School, Selattyn, commencing 7pm.    The agenda has been published.
 
4th item (No. 211) is for 15 minutes set aside for the public to speak on items on the agenda.
 
7th item (No. 214) is on Planning Items and point b   is to give consideration to the revised plan for the Proposed Solar Farm at Rhosygadfa which includes the reduction in the number of solar panels.
 
The details can be viewed on the Shropshire Planning site. Amongst other things, it includes reducing the number of panels from 60,000 to 40,000.
 
I doubt, even if the whole of the15 minutes allocated for the public to speak is used on this subject alone, that there is sufficient time to have a meaningful discussion on the revised application.
 
As many residents as possible in our community should attend this meeting, as this application (even with the changes suggested) is still a HUGE industrialisation of  PRIME agricultural land. We must protect our countryside for future generations and not permit land to be desegrated in this manner. I am sure that, given a small amount of forward thinking, that there would be young farmers willing to take on the challenge of cultivating 78 acres?
The development and use of Solar Energy is important but there are far better ways of achieving this other than covering beautiful fields with iron, concrete and glass!

Agenda for meeting 11 March 2015
 
 
 
 
 
SAG PC Agenda 11-03-2015.pdf

Agenda available for download HERE

On the Planning Application - Consultants Comments
 
1)  Shropshire Council shows concerns about :     Drainage,    Archeology (historic Environment),     and Public Right of Way (PROW) not identified correctly
 
2) Ramblers Association and Shropshire Wildlife Trust do not seem to have been consulted.
 
      Why wait to be consulted!   If you are concerned, contact the SCC Planners ref Application 14/03946/FUL and make your point!
 
              There's only a few days left!

Saw this objection by Sue Cowley (Whittington Parish Clerk) in the 'Public Comments' section of the Application :
 
Comment submitted date: Tue 11 Nov 2014
Members of Whittington Parish Council feel that this application should be deferred as there is not enough information to make a reasonable judgment on the impact to the quality and character of the countryside. There should have been public consultation meetings held in the parishes that are affected by this application. The meeting for Selattyn and Gobowen, the parish mainly affected by this application, is due on    November, this should have been held before in this parish not St Martins. As Whittington is also affected this application should be deferred until a public meeting in the parish is arranged.
 
Unfortunately, Sue has quoted the wrong date for the meeting which is why it is not shown above (to avoid any more confusion!)
 
The Meeting is, of course, on the Thursday 20th November in the Pavilion at 7.00 pm
 
Lets hope that the very least our Parish Councillors will do, is the same as Whittington.

Saw this objection by Sue Cowley (Whittington Parish Clerk) in the 'Public Comments' section of the Application :
 
Comment submitted date: Tue 11 Nov 2014
Members of Whittington Parish Council feel that this application should be deferred as there is not enough information to make a reasonable judgment on the impact to the quality and character of the countryside. There should have been public consultation meetings held in the parishes that are affected by this application. The meeting for Selattyn and Gobowen, the parish mainly affected by this application, is due on    November, this should have been held before in this parish not St Martins. As Whittington is also affected this application should be deferred until a public meeting in the parish is arranged.
 
Unfortunately, Sue has quoted the wrong date for the meeting which is why it is not shown above (to avoid any more confusion!)
 
The Meeting is, of course, on the Thursday 20th November in the Pavilion at 7.00 pm
 
Lets hope that the very least our Parish Councillors will do, is the same as Whittington.

So glad the Parish Council are going to hold the Special Meeting regarding the Solar Farm project at Ebnal Lodge Farm. It will have a HUGE impact on the area if it all gets the go-ahead and deserves to be given adequate time for consultation.
I don't think anyone will disagree with Liam, Solar Energy IS the way forward, but lets get real and exhaust all the rooftop sites and other 'brown field' sites before committing prime agricultural land to 25 years of limited use. Afterall, we cannot eat electricity and these other methods provide REAL benefits to local industry and residents.