Skip to content
Agenda and draft minutes
 

Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Barum Room - Brynsworthy. View directions

Contact: Corporate and Community Services 01271 388253 

Link: Audio available here

Items
No. Item

78.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bonds, J. Cann, Mathews, Roome, Webber and White.

79.

Declarations of Interest

(Please telephone the Corporate and Community Services team to prepare a form for your signature before the meeting. Interests must be re-declared when the item is called, and Councillors must leave the room if necessary).

Minutes:

The following declarations of interest were announced:

 

Councillor Patrinos declared a personal interest as he had been in communication via email with Ms Faust in relation to the Batsworthy Cross - Wind Turbines.

80.

Batsworthy Cross - Wind Turbines. pdf icon PDF 68 KB

In pursuance to minute 52 (a) of Council held on 21st November 2018 (attached).

 

The following papers are attached as follows:

 

·          

Timeline for Batsworthy Cross – Wind Turbines (Pages 3 – 7).

·          

Senior Management Team – Reports (Pages 9 – 40).

·          

Noise Method Statement – (Pages 41 – 46).

·          

Noise Monitoring Map and explanation (Pages 47 – 54).

·          

Schedule 1 of appeal Decision (Pages 55 – 66).

 

The format of the meeting will be as follows:

 

·          

Two appointed spokespersons will be invited to address the Committee on behalf of the Batsworthy residents, each spokesperson will be given 10 minutes to address the Committee.

·          

Officers from North Devon Council will be invited to respond, each officer will also have 10 minutes to address the Committee.

·          

The Batsworthy residents will then have an opportunity to respond, which will be limited to 5 minutes.

·          

Councillor Ley will be invited to address the Committee for 10 minutes.

·          

Councillors R. Cann and Yabsley to address the Committee, each for 10 minutes.

 

(NOTE: Changes to this format will be at the discretion of the Chairman).


Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed Members, officers and public to the meeting and outlined the reason and the format of the meeting.

 

The Chairman invited the two appointed spokespersons to address the Committee on behalf of the Batsworthy residents.

 

Mr Morgans addressed the Committee in relation to the noise concerns, which were raised at the public enquiry. He also outlined the background information to the windfarm together with the compliance with the noise conditions. He requested that the noise assessment be undertaken in accordance with the conditions to ensure that the site was operating within the noise limits.

 

He took the Committee through the Councils timeline for the Batsworthy Cross wind turbines addressing each point up until May 2017.

 

Ms Faust addressed the Committee in relation to the remaining items on the timeline with reference to the measuring of three locations and discussed issues in relation to the measurements. She summarised the reasons why the residents felt that the site was not operating within the stipulated noise limits.

 

The Chairman thanked the residents for their presentation to the Committee and invited officers from the Council to address the Committee.

 

The Senior Planning Officer presented the timeline of the process together with the approach taken by the Council and the significant resources that had been committed to regulate the planning conditions.

 

The Service Lead – Environmental Protection explained the Council’s approach to achieve compliance with noise conditions, in accordance with the planning consent, legislation and guidance. The approach taken to regulate the noise conditions was the same as it was for Fullabrook, which was now compliant. He acknowledged the amount of time taken but added that it was a complex site with a lot of technical detail. The Council wanted to have regard to the community concerns whilst being mindful of officer time.

 

He outlined the details in relation to noise monitoring and the work that had been undertaken. He added that one property owner had not permitted the operator to undertake monitoring on their land. He summarised the topics of the representations received and the proposals going forward.

 

The Chairman invited the Batsworthy residents to respond to the officers.

 

Ms Faust addressed the Committee. She challenged the statement made by officers that the process followed had been in line with planning conditions. She also raised issues with the measurements and when they were taken together with the associated costs. She clarified a point in relation to a statement by the officers that the owner of a property would not allow monitoring on its land and challenged the time that it had taken the Council to find an alternative monitoring location.

 

Mr Morgans addressed the Committee and questioned the complexities of the case and the time that it had taken to measure.

 

The Chairman sought clarification from the officers in relation to the unjustifiable delays at various points in the process.

 

The Head of Environmental Health and Housing Services explained that officers were disappointed with the time that it had taken to get  ...  view the full minutes text for item 80.