Inspector visits the area 2nd June

The end of our campaign was achieved on an extraordinary high note.

The day dawned with vehicles scurrying to Toseland Road, Graveley and then to College Farm Gt Paxton. Splendidly, magnificently, the blimps rose into the air and dominated the sky. The CFA had decided to use two blimps giving dimension to the depth and breadth of the proposed windfarm. The day was warming up and no wind (ironically) and a clear blue sky…and it stayed that way all day. Using two blimps turned out to be the best thing we could have done.

At 0930 the group from councils, CFA, npower and the Inspector rendezvoused in the Offords. After sorting out the cars and representatives, the convoy went to Cotton Farm and toured the windfarm site. The over-riding experience when standing still in the crops was the amazing still quietness of the site and the clarity of bird song.

The tour took us back to the Offords, then to Gt Paxton for the school and homes on the edge of the estates and after a look at the church, went to College Farm. Then the party walked to Toseland Wood and Toseland Hall. The over-riding factor that dominated the day were the blimps. They dominated every view point. Whenever we stopped we automatically looked to the blimps for our bearings. When the Inspector wanted to check a view point from photographs, in peoples gardens and in houses, he looked for the blimps. As we toured the district it became apparent we were seeing the dominance of the turbines, if built, to being a very major factor in our future lives. I am sure the Inspector was as surprised as we were. Allowing for the slight differences of positioning outside the windfarm site the mind’s eye filled in the turbines between them and the views from medium distances especially (1km to 5km) were simply dreadful to contemplate.

Views from Godmanchester Roman Way, Loves Farm housing development in St Neots, Diddington, Buckden, Papworth Everard and many other places would be dramatic. One person, arriving at the railway station in St Neots saw them as he walked across the platform bridge. Several supporters travelled the area and reported to us the impact on the area.

Corrie, from SCDC, took the inspector to a view point on the site of the old village in Papworth St. Agnes near the church. We looked back at the view over the present houses. The blimps were stark on the skyline over a village one would not think would be specifically impacted. Where ever we went the domination of the windfarm would be very obvious. The visual impact of the turbines on the area showed it should have been a major consideration in the HDC initial contemplation of the planning application. The approach to Graveley from the A1198 travelling west was truly awesome. The blimps showed that the turbines, if built, would be a moving blanket of turbine blades sitting over the northern section of the village like a smothering duvet.

At this point the CFA (and the Inspector) wishes to thank the many people who opened their homes and gardens to him. We are extremely grateful for everyone who allowed this. We are particularly grateful for the owners of Toseland Hall in accommodating the group, after the walk from College Farm, as we picnicked by the duck pond in the grounds of the Hall. It was really nice to sit in the sun being comfortable with the ancient walls of the Hall close by.

The tour continued, after a walk up the Toseland High Street, to Yelling and to Graveley and to the closest buildings to the proposed windfarm. Again it was the dominance of the turbines on all the properties represented by the blimps. After visits to Home Farm, Duck End and Graveley church the convoy returned to the Offord shop at about 5:30pm. The Inspector was then to continue his tour on his own until sunset. The blimps were also left flying until dusk to allow him his reference points.

As I write this it is a feeling of anti-climax. The campaign is over. The die is cast, the arguments fought and only the decision in July to worry about. It has been nearly three years of campaigning. It is unfair to pick out the many on the committee and in the Parishes who were tireless in their support and enthusiasm. The people of all the villages were very supportive and encouraged us in our fight. We thank you all for coming out for the Determination last November and again at the start of the appeal. Your letters of objection to the various politicians and the officers at the councils really mattered. We thank those who put up posters, delivered newsletters, raised funds and helped with all the chores of our activities. I must specifically thank those who gave statements to the inquiry. They were all very thoughtful, pertinent and relevant to each individual’s circumstance. There was passion, anger, frustration and tears. The inspector saw, as did the npower team, the raw emotions of people being wracked by this grossly unfair scheme being forced into our community. The greed and avarice of the wind industry is obvious. The employment of an advocate whose sole aim is to be a bully and threaten public and inspectors alike was deliberately provocative. The local press picked up the threat in his summary, ‘you will have to have 100’s of wind turbines in your region…get used to it!’ It says it all.

Sufficient to say when the appeal was announced by npower, a decision was made in January to raise money to fight the appeal. The level of support from the people in the area was so amazing we raised most of our target cash of £50,000 in under 4 weeks. We needed to raise (and still do) more money because of the increased time of the appeal. We raised it to £60,000. We are still a few thousand short with the final bills to come in. We are confident the funds will come in from you.

Finally I must thank our legal team and expert witnesses. David Cocks QC and Bob Barfoot were a formidable team. They are gentlemen, and those having met them, will agree with this. They assisted us because they too know the helplessness of fighting windfarm developers. We hope we can invite them back to a party later in the summer.

Whatever the outcome in July, I can honestly say we have fought as hard and as effectively as we could. We could not have done more. If there is any justice in the world we will have won hands down. But there is very little justice, I am afraid, and the decision is based on evidence relevant to planning law and not natural justice. This is  restricted by all the finicky documents written by people in Whitehall and the oppressive legislation of an uncaring Government. We are hoping we get a better deal from the new Government. Letters by our MP’s to the Inspector intimate the opinion of the people will, at last, be taken into account. I sincerely hope so.

I hope we have done enough. However, those two blimps, they spoke a million words. They stated our case beyond all reasonable doubt. I hope, for all our sakes, the sheer visual impact of those blimps over ride the weasel words of advocacy.

Thank you.

Bev Gray

PS Please take down your posters. They were everywhere and the inspector could not miss them. Thank you.

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