January 2002
Visit to Denmark where there are wind turbines of all shapes and sizes... everywhere. Big and small, new and old, alone or in groups, miles away from anywhere and right next door to somewhere. ( All too soon became a turbine spotter - able to identify different makes and models at a distance... )

After only a few hours of driving around and seeing wind turbines in the landscape all around, they become part of the landscape and don't stand out from it. There are however several differences to what's happened in the UK; The most significant one being that the wind farms are usually 2-6 turbines, probably averaging 3 - 4. This I think makes quite a difference as the landscape accommodates them much easier than the larger numbers that are often found in the UK. The landscape is also flatter than much of Oxfordshire, which means you loose sight of them quite quickly. It also feels culturally different, not as old somehow.

In any event after two days I found I hardly registered when I saw a wind turbine, they were part of the landscape, along with all the other aspects of a lived in environment, certainly not imposed on the landscape.

Wind farms are sometimes accused of being ''green tokenism'': i.e. they help us feel that we are doing something, whilst not having any real use. As demonstrated by Denmark, that clearly isn't true. Currently 18 % of Danish electricity is from the wind. There are no nuclear power plants in Denmark. In 2 years time the Danes hope to be generating over 20 % of their electricity just from the wind as it blows over the land, not from imports of coal or gas from half way around the world, with the consequent release of CO2, nor from nuclear fission with the production of radioactive wastes that will remain toxic for hundreds of years. None of the scary geo-political clashes over control of energy supplies, no legacy of pollution for future generations... when looked at in the whole it seems so blindly obvious !

A current bit of anti wind farm mythology is that Denmark is experiencing an anti wind farm backlash, and has stopped putting up new turbines. Not true... In 2002 Denmark installed more MW of wind turbines than ever before, the vast majority being onshore installations...

March 2002
Most of the next few months is taken up with the production of the EIA. Campaigning by VECS went on hold while everybody waited to see what it might have to say. However as part of the EIA I undertake some community consultation. Along with Baywind I organise an exhibition about the wind farm to take place in Watchfield and Shrivenham over a couple of days in March. One of the accusations thrown by VECS is that nobody knows about the application. To make sure everybody knows, I write to all the local and surrounding Parish Councils and interested parties, contact the media, poster shops, post offices, libraries etc. and fly post all around the area. I also arrange for every house in Watchfield and the nearby villages of Shrivenham and Longcot to have a flyer posted through their letterbox.

The exhibition was titled 'Westmill Wind farm... What do you think ?', and was designed to encourage active engagement, with a feedback form and various opportunities for expressing comments on the size, number layout and colour of the wind turbines etc.

Also at the exhibition was TV Energy , a regional renewable energy information organisation, largely funded by local government; Oxfordshire Friends of the Earth and Rising Tide, a national Climate Change campaign group (but based in Oxford ).

My part of the exhibition consisted of information about various aspects of the wind farm, Visual imapact- mainly photomontages. Noise- a preliminary report and also a working decibel meter so that you could get an idea of the ambient sound levels. Effect on wildlife, TV reception, shadow flicker, and also a bit about how much energy is produced. There was also some general technical information about wind turbines, location plans, general history about the project and an opportunity for people to ask for more information or for the EIA to investigate other areas etc. About 400 people came over the two days, a lot of misconceptions were answered and of course there were people who went way as anxious or opposed as they had been before they came in. Around half of those who came, filled in the feedback form. Nearly everyone thought it was a good exhibition, and 70% were in favour of the planning application being approved.

There was great media coverage, local press radio and regional tv, the odd interesting encounter, some heated exchanges and nearly a fight! Also start work to get letters of support coming in May - general networking with local green activists etc.

May 2002
Oxford Brookes University publishes its survey results. Baywind and myself had commissioned Oxford Brookes University to carry out a survey of local opinion and attitudes to Renewable Energy in general, landscape issues, the proposed windfarm at Westmill and interest in community ownership of the wind farm.

They carried out a random postal survey of 1500 residents within a 3km and 10km radius. The results in line with all national independent surveys showed strong support for renewable energy in general and also for Westmill windfarm. I had been concerned that any strong campaigning by VECS around the time of the survey could have altered the results - fortunately this did not happen. Unsurprisingly given the misinformation that had been put out by VECS earlier - most people were not shocked by the scale of the wind turbines as shown in the photomontages, included with the questionnaire. Their main concern was one of noise impact, a concern which, I was confident, would evaporate once the turbines are up and running.

It is worth noting that to date ALL independent surveys carried out around existing windfarms in the UK shows substantial majority support or acceptance of the windfarm. From the surveys I have looked at, in general, around 60% of people are not bothered either way by their local windfarm, approximately 15-20% think it's great, a similar proportion thinks it's awful and around 10% aren't sure. Cold comfort for those who campaign against new windfarms.

Summer 2002
The summer is generally quiet whilst the EIA is being produced. This involves a phenomenal amount of work not least because I am aware that it will be looked at very critically and will need to stand up to robust investigation. The procedural process also needs to be very carefully followed given the adversarial attitude of the planning consultants employed by a part of the opposition.

I put up a Greenpeace "Esso doesn't give a damn about Climate Change" banner on site alongside the A420... Unfortunately it didn't last long. Either it's too windy to stay up or it's upsetting someone...

September 2002
EIA eventually published - phew! - only 4 months later than originally anticipated... It's a fairly weighty and dry tome. Notices are pinned around the site, adverts placed in newspapers and I distribute copies wide and far. Local libraries and Watchfield village hall are the lucky recipients of all three volumes. The non-technical summary is sent to all surrounding Parish Councils (with an offer to talk about the project), put in local post offices and village halls and put on the web (Link www.tvenergy.org). The findings of the EIA are largely as expected. In a nutshell they are: -

1) All forms of energy production have an impact on the environment.

2) The only negative impact of this project is the visual impact, which will be a significant impact within 3 km.

3) There is one outlying property that will sometimes hear the swish of the blades. It is possible that the wind turbines may occasionally just be audible in the village of Watchfied, but only when there is no traffic on the adjoining A420 (T) and when the wind is blowing from one particular direction.

4) The Bonus wind turbines are quieter than the Vestas at most wind speeds.

5) The wind turbines will repay all the energy used in their fabrication, construction, transportation, etc., etc. within the first 4 months.

6) The only significant difference between the Bonus and the Vestas wind turbines is the 40% extra clean energy generated... 12.6 GWh/yr compared to 8.8GWh/yr. (12.6 GWh/yr of electricity is the equivalent to the domestic consumption of around 3500 "average" houses, or 9,000 people.)

October 2002
I speak to several parish and town councils. They are all open to the issues around the balance of the global environmental need for clean energy versus the local impact of the wind farm. All sound generally supportive.

November 2002
Application due to go to planning committee. VECS members say they need more time to assess EIA... Application delayed... Oxfordshire FOE conduct a survey in Watchfield and Shrivenham of local shoppers one Saturday afternoon. 66 out of the 100 people stopped and asked say they are in support of the application, 24 are unsure, and 10 opposed.

I give a presentation about the project to the TV Energy conference on renewable energy in Newbury. I end my presentation saying 'I hope it will be up in time for next years conference...

December 2002
VECS restart active campaigning - distribute more misinformation leaflets and put it as a flyer in the parish newsletter. Amongst other things they accuse EIA of having "developer spin"!

FOE and Baywind produce a counter flyer to go into the next months parish newsletter. I produce a campaign leaflet and email it around friends and associates.

National Trust and opposition planning consultants write in criticising EIA... National Trust seem to be indulging in what appears to be institutional NIMBYism... If the wind turbines are visible from one of our properties... We will oppose them. The National Trust have a lot of green and glossy policies and brochures acknowledging the seriousness of Climate Change and how the Trust is responding... by generating a few kilowatts of electricity in half a dozen of their properties...

As one of the UK's largest institutional land and property owners and one of the UK's wealthiest charities and since it claims it claims to care for the environment... you might expect it to be doing more than the odd micro generation... how about some proper insulation in all those cottages and farmhouses in rents out...

They are also studiously ignoring the fact that planning permission already exists and the Bonus wind turbines will produce 40% more electricity for 5m on the blade length and are quieter...

Letters of support coming in including from Greenpeace UK.