For:            Garway CP School, per Herefordshire Council, Property Services, Franklin House, 4 Commercial Road, Hereford, HR1 2BB

Ward: Pontrilas

The Senior Planning Officer presented the report of the Head of Planning and Transportation about an application for the erection of a WT6000 6kw wind turbine on the north-western corner of the school grounds.  She advised that the blades would be mounted on a 15m high-galvanised steel tower with the three matt black blades forming a 5.5m swept area (maximum height 20.5m). A 1.8m high mesh fence with access gate would be erected at the base of the tower and 8 photovoltaic arrays each measuring 1.57 x 0.8m would be mounted on the roof of the school building.  He said that a letter and supporting powerpoint presentation had been received from Garway Primary School providing the following information:

‘’Garway primary school is one of only a handful of schools in Herefordshire to have achieved their 2nd Green flag award. We have a very dynamic “pupil-led” eco committee and “green” culture and the children are encouraged to grow their own vegetables (using their own worm compost); to recycle paper, foil and cans and to conserve water through the use of home-made water hippos. They have even made their own animal homes to increase the bio-diversity in the school grounds.

During the summer term of 2008, year 6 pupils undertook an audit of energy use within school. Their findings enabled them to identify the school’s carbon footprint and they were horrified to discover that every kilowatt hour of electrical energy used at school produced 1 kg of carbon dioxide, enough to fill a balloon 1 metre in diameter!

The children then looked into the various sustainable energy options available and identified a wind turbine and solar panels as the most viable technologies for our school. This research coincided with the launch of two capital grant schemes:

• the Community Sustainable Energy Programme (CSEP); and

• Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

After submitting two business cases we received confirmation in June 2008 that our applications for 100% funding under these two schemes had been successful. The proposed renewable energies will reduce our electricity costs by 50%.

Throughout the entire process we have kept parents and local residents informed of our progress via:-

• articles in the local parish magazine;

• an open afternoon at school during Grounds week in May 2008;

• a powerpoint presentation to governors and parish councillors delivered by the children themselves on Monday 14 July; and also

• letters delivered to 70 of our immediate neighbours (on 16 September) to allay any fears they may harbour with regard to noise pollution

Our application was then approved by Garway parish council on 1 December.

In summary, we feel that as the problems of climate change and dwindling fossil energy resources are becoming more and more apparent, it is important that our children understand the need:-

• to reduce energy costs;

• to understand how their behaviour effects carbon emissions;

• that climate change can be tackled in the first instance by installing these renewable energy technologies in community buildings such as ours.

Equally important, these technologies will increase environmental awareness and provide our children with huge cross-curriculum opportunities. Indeed data from the turbine and solar panels will be continuously displayed in the school foyer and will be downloaded into the school’s computer network for the children to analyse.

We are aware that a small minority of local residents have objected to our planning application BUT we have also received a great deal of support from neighbours and other interested schools and colleges within the UK. We feel passionately that this is such a golden opportunity for our children - the first truly “green generation”.

The Senior Planning Officer said that comments had not been received from the Environmental Health Manager but that the limited level of noise that would arise from the turbine was set out in paragraph 6.10 of the report.  The Rights of Way manager had raised no objection to the application in relation to the adjoining public footpath.  The Senior Planning Officer was of the view that no changes to the recommendation were necessary following the receipt of the additional information.

In accordance with the criteria for public speaking, Mr Keenan a local resident spoke in favour of the application.  He said that although his property was closest to the installation he fully supported the initiative for the creation of renewable energy for the school and did not feel that there would be any noise nuisance arising from the turbine.  Councillor RH Smith the Local Ward Member gave his full support to the proposal and commended the initiative of the school in pursuing the scheme.  The Committee shared the views which had been put forward in support of the application and decided that it should be approved.

RESOLVED

That planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions

1       A01 (Time limit for commencement (full permission) )

         Reason: Required to be imposed by Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

INFORMATIVES:

1       N15 - Reason(s) for the Grant of PP/LBC/CAC

2       N19 - Avoidance of doubt - Approved Plans