As previously reported on this website, a public inquiry into South Northants Council’s refusal of planning permission for five 125 metre high wind turbines between the villages of Sulgrave, Helmdon and Greatworth, will be held at the Council’s offices in Towcester, commencing on Tuesday May 15^th. See here for further details of this proposal. The main parties at the Inquiry will be South Northants Council, whose expert witnesses will be defending the decision to refuse planning permission and Broadview Energy Limited whose expert witnesses will be attempting to demonstrate that permission should have been granted. A number of “third parties” from the local communities have also requested permission to be heard. The Inspector, Elizabeth Fieldhouse, will hear the evidence and issue her decision as to whether the appeal should be allowed or dismissed on or about July 13^th.

At 10.00 am on Tuesday May 15^th, the inquiry will open with an address by the Inspector as to the planned programme of appearances, the procedures to be followed and so on. This will be an opportunity for those who wish to appear at the inquiry but are not currently on the schedule of third party appearances (see later)’ to make themselves known. Later that morning, the Council’s barrister, Asitha Ranatunga, will introduce Kate Ahern, the Council’s consultant landscape architect, who will set out her opinion that the proposed turbines would have significant adverse impacts on 1) local landscape character and quality and 2) visual amenity, notably residential amenity and the amenity of the many users of the local rights of way network. A copy of her Proof of Evidence can be seen here. In the afternoon, she will be cross examined by the barrister for Broadview Energy, David Hardy and then re-examined by Asitha Ranatunga.

Wednesday May 16^th will be given over to the evidence of Broadview’s landscape architect, Jeffrey Stevenson, who will explain that although “highly localised significant effects would arise” he does not consider that such effects would be unacceptable. A copy of his Proof of Evidence can be seen here. He will be cross-examined by the Council’s barrister and re-examined by Broadview’s barrister in the usual way.

The evening of Wednesday May 16^th has been set aside for the appearance of “third parties” and a preliminary schedule for these appearances can be seen at the foot of this page.

Thursday May 17^th and Friday May 18^th will be taken up with “cultural heritage” matters. Firstly the Council’s Conservation Officer, Naomi Archer, will set out the Council’s case that the impact of the proposed wind turbines upon local heritage assets such as Churches, Ancient Monuments, Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas would be unacceptable. Her Proof of Evidence can be seen here. This view will be contested by Andrew Brown, Architect and Planner, for Broadview Energy, whose  Proof of Evidence can be seen here.

After the weekend break, Monday 21^st May will be given over to site visits by the Inspector in the presence of representatives of the main parties, between 09.00 and 17.00. During this period, the Helmdon Stuchbury and Greatworth Action Group will be flying blimps at turbine height from two locations close to the most easterly and westerly turbine positions. The Action Group sought permission from the local landowners to fly the blimps from the actual turbine locations but this was refused.  During the Inspector’s site visits, no discussions are permitted, it merely being an opportunity for witnesses to point out various features in the landscape to which they refer in their evidence.

On Tuesday 22^nd May, Richard Hall of Northamptonshire County Council (the local highway authority) will give evidence that the impact of the proposal upon the byways, bridleways and footpaths crossing the site would be unacceptable. His Proof of Evidence can be seen here.(Connection to this proof will be made when available). He will be followed by South Northants Council’s planning witness, Daniel Callis, dealing with the various planning policy issues which led the Council to refuse the application and his Proof of Evidence can be seen here.

On Wednesday 23^rd May, Daniel Callis will complete his evidence and he will be followed by Broadview Energy’s planning witness, David Bell, who will explain why he considers that the relevant planning policy requirements have been met by the proposal. His Proof of Evidence can be seen here. (Connection to this proof will be made when available).

On Thursday 24^th David Bell will complete his evidence and then there will be a one and a half hour “conditions session”. This is an opportunity for the Council’s planning witness to set out any conditions which the Council would wish to see imposed should the Inspector be minded to allow the appeal. They might, for instance, seek to ensure that the turbines do not operate under certain specified situations or that maintenance work should only be undertaken at certain times. In doing so the Council does not, in any way, concede its position that the refusal of planning permission was justified in terms of the relevant planning policies.

On Friday 25th May, the barristers for South Northants Council and Broadview Energy Limited, will make their final submissions to the Inspector, who will then close the Inquiry.

There are numerous appendices to the proofs of evidence of the expert witnesses and these can be seen on the South Northants Council website.

A pdf file of the detailed programme of appearances can be seen here. This is provisional and may change during the course of the inquiry. An up to date version will be posted on this website as necessary.

A number of local people have requested permission to be heard at the inquiry and have submitted their statements.  They are (in alphabetical order):

Natalie Atkins (Resident of Grange Farm, Helmdon)

Peter Burns (Chairman of Helmdon Parish Council)

Richard Chamberlayne (Helmdon resident concerned as to safety of the turbines)

Ken Christy (Sulgrave resident)

Rob Cross (Astwell, concerned as to impact on horses and riders crossing the windfarm site)

Fiona Davies (for Helmdon Stuchbury and Greatworth Windfarm Action Group)

Fiona Davies Appendix A – Barrister Opinion

Fiona Davies Appendix B – Noise

Fiona Davies Appendix C – Report by Alison Farmer on Landscape and Cultural Heritage

S.L. Harris (Falcutt resident)

Bob Haynes (resident of Greatworth)

Will Lovell (Ramblers Association, Northamptonshire Area)

Roger Miles (Helmdon resident and local footpath warden)

Nick Peart (Chairman of Greatworth Parish Council)

David Powell (Helmdon resident)

Wendy Roussell (British Horse Society)

Paul and Charlotte Sandilands (Falcutt residents)

Edward Tims (on behalf of Michael and Joan Tims, Stuchbury Hall Farm)

Hugh Walmsley (Friends of St Mary Magdalene Church, Helmdon)

Nicholas Ward (Chairman of Sulgrave Manor Board)

Veronica Ward (Greatworth resident, concerned as to B4525 safety)

Colin Wootton (Sulgrave resident, on behalf of Sulgrave Parish Council)

Colin Wootton Appendix 1 Sulgrave Heritage Assets

Colin Wootton Appendix 2 Sulgrave Rights of Way

Colin Wootton Appendix 3 Loss of Visual Amenity

Colin Wootton Appendix 4 Traffic Implications

Where available, the statements of these “third parties” as submitted to the Planning Inspectorate can be seen by clicking on the individual concerned. Most, but not all of these parties will be appearing at the Inquiry in person and a provisional programme for their appearances has been agreed as follows:

Wednesday 16 May 18.30 – 21.00

David Powell
Hugh Walmsley
Will Lovell
Veronica Ward for Rob Cross
Veronica Ward
Edward Tims for Mr and Mrs Tims
Nicholas Peart
Roger Miles

Friday 18 May From 13.15

Richard Chamberlayne

Tuesday 22 May From 14.15

Fiona Davies

Bob Haynes

Colin Wootton

Natalie Atkins

Nicholas Ward

Peter Burns

Thursday 24 May 09.30 – 10.00

Ken Christy

There may be changes to this schedule and details will be posted on this website as they become available.

During April and may, you will be able to save money when you eat at The Star Inn as a thank you for spending at your Village Shop. How? For every £50 that you spend at the Shop during April, you will be given a voucher worth £5 to redeem as a part payment against your food bill (note: drinks are not included). Simply keep the receipts for your cash or reverse credit account payments at the Shop and when they total £50 (or multiples thereof), hand them to David or one of the volunteers and they will present you with your voucher(s). Then when you eat at the Star during April or May, hand your voucher(s) over with your food bill and it will be reduced accordingly.

See here for details of the excellent and varied menus available at the Star Inn.

More news from the shop on the next page.

Village Shop News Update

Telephone – 01295 760066

I’m delighted to bring you more good news about your Village Shop & Post Office!  Our takings for January & February 2012 were ahead of the same weeks in 2011 in 6 out of 8 weeks; an overall increased performance of 2.4% so thank you again to you all for your custom & support!

I said in the last Newsletter that the Management Committee were planning on delivering against 3 things this year & I’d like to give you a quick update on them:

1. Locally sources, fresh local produce

David & Joanna are working hard to ensure that the fruit & vegetables that we have in stock match their seasonality.

We now have in stock a range of hand made, home cooked pies from Elliotts of Towcester.  If you haven’t tried their pork pies or chicken & ham pies then, as a ‘pie aficionado’, I can thoroughly recommend them; they are quite simply delicious & great value for money!

We have a new range of Gourmet Cookies from Borders in 6 flavours; again a real treat for morning coffee, tea or when you fancy treating yourself.

New for the week ends are our freshly baked, almond croissants.  Why not try them with a cup of our Grumpy Mule coffee?

Finally, David has asked me to remind you to get your orders into him for Bread over the Easter period.  We get deliveries of fresh bread from our baker every Saturday morning so don’t miss out!

2. New computer system

This really is an essential change to the Shop so that we can become more responsive to the way in which we serve you, our Customers.  Debit & credit card payments are very much the norm these days & we have narrowed our preferred choice of system down to 2.  I hope that I’ll be able to tell you more in the next Newsletter.

3. Broadening awareness of the Shop & Post Office

I’m delighted to say that we have agreed a joint promotion with Will & Mandy at The Star which will run throughout April as a thank you to everyone for your continued support.  More details are shown in the separate feature; I do hope that you’ll enjoy the benefit of the offer!  This is the first initiative of this kind for both businesses & we feel that a collaborative approach for our community will create stronger awareness.

We’ll all be aware of the increases in fuel prices; they effect us all.  I did a quick calculation of the cost to make a round trip to Middleton Cheney.  I know, it’s sad but I think that it’s important that people are aware of these costs because it makes the Shop all the more attractive.  At today’s prices, a petrol car will cost around £2.15 & a diesel car around £1.75 for the 12 mile journey.

Finally, the Management Committee wanted to express a HUGE vote of thanks to Geoff Ratley & Town & Country Builders for their support in providing free of charge maintenance work for the Shop.  Some of you may have noticed that the plaster in the Shop has been attended to which will allow us to complete the re-decoration.  Geoff completed this work for us & I know that he’d be delighted to hear from villagers & your friends should you need any building or maintenance work around the home.  He can be contacted on 01295 760929.  Back in February when the snow fell, our gutters needed some attention at the front of the building; Town & Country stepped forward & completed this work for us.  Again, I’m sure that they would be delighted to hear from you if you need any work around the home particularly if yours is one of the older buildings in the village.  They can be contacted on 01295 710181

 Thank you again everyone.

 ‘Mac’ Macdonald

SNVB (the South Northants Volunteer Bureau) are pleased to announce that as part of Village Networks, a new Lottery-funded project, we have taken delivery of a brand new 16-seater minibus which is available for hire by community, voluntary and non-profit groups.

“So often local groups tell us transport is a real problem”, says Nick King, Project Coordinator. “Now we have a solution: a new minibus and trained drivers”.

The minibus and driver is operated and insured by SNVB with a section 19 permit. Community groups can apply for membership and once approved can hire the minibus for trips, excursions and events. Terms & conditions apply.

Details can be found at www.snvb.org.uk – click on the Minibus.

Or for further information, please contact Nick King on 01327 353321 / 358264 or email nick@snvb.org.uk

A fun filled family afternoon picnic with games followed by evening frivolities at the Manor is being planned for the village to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee.

Why not design a Card for the Queen?

To mark the Diamond Jubilee Sulgrave will be sending the Queen a card from the residents of the village. For anyone who would like to have a go at designing the cover of the card, a box will be put in the shop for all entries so get those painbrushes, pencils and felt tips out!

The competition is open to all, adults and children, and the deadline for entries will be the 23rd of April.

Do you have a couple of hours free once a fortnight to become a HomeVisitor/Befriender for Northamptonshire Association for the Blind? The Association has blind and partially sighted people in the area who  urgently need support to overcome isolation and regain their confidence. Volunteer roles vary to suit individual skills and preferences. Volunteers can help with tasks such as:

Assistance with reading mail or newspapers

Occasional shopping trips

Accompanying clients on short walks, shopping trips or visits to the doctor

By giving up a little of your time to become a volunteer you can make a huge difference to someone’s life.

To volunteer or find out more, contact Rachel Cave Volunteer Co-ordinator:

nab Helpline: 01604 719193 Mobile: 07889 411274

Email: rachel@nab.org.uk Visit: www.nab.org.uk

SHORT EARED OWL (ASIO FLAMMEUS)

We usually think of owls as hunters of the night, and this is certainly true of most members of the family. However, there are exceptions and the short-eared owl is one. It prefers to hunt its prey – predominantly voles, but also other small mammals – in daylight.

The plumage of this bird is heavily streaked in pale yellow-brown or buff-white, and may look almost white in some lights. There are distinct black patches around the yellow eyes, giving it rather a fierce expression. The wings are long. As it quarters its hunting territory, the flight is graceful and buoyant, interrupted by short glides and pauses. It is a bird of the upland moors of the north and west, where its nest is a scrape on the ground. However, in winter, it migrates south, and may be seen anywhere in marshy areas, such as on the coasts or low lying wet areas inland (Otmoor, to the east of Oxford is a good place to look for it). Our native birds are sometimes joined by continental owls seeking a milder winter climate.

  Text: George Metcalfe

Photographs: John Sheppard

410 feet high wind turbine of the type proposed for the Helmdon Stuchbury Greatworth scheme

A government planning inspector has been appointed to consider the appeal by Broadview Energy Limited against South Northants Council’s refusal of planning permission for the erection of five 125m (410 feet) high wind turbines between Helmdon and Greatworth and very close to houses at Stuchbury. The inquiry will commence on Tuesday 15^th May at a venue yet to be announced and is expected to last for at least 8 days.

Whilst there is an intervening ridge in the 2000 metres between Sulgrave and the wind farm, the turbines are so high and the relative ground level differences so small that they would appear to completely dominate the horizon above the village when viewed from the north. This impact can be seen in this photo montage prepared from photographs taken from a viewpoint near to the old windmill on the footpath to Culworth.

A representation of how the turbines would appear from the Old Windmill, Sulgrave. "A" marks the top of the already erected meteorological mast and "B" the location of a blimp flown at turbine height.

Similarly, the impact on the eastern half of the village which is the setting for Sulgrave Manor would be as shown on this montage prepared from photos taken on the footpath to Barrow Hill:

A representation of how the turbines would appear from the Barrow Hill foopath. "X" indicates the top of the already erected meteorological mast and "M" the location of Sulgrave Manor.

The proposed location for each of the five turbines is shown on this map:

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced by kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

The inquiry is basically a forum in which South Northants Council will defend its decision to refuse planning permission in the face of Broadview Energy’s contention that there are no valid reasons for such a refusal. Local groups such as the Helmdon, Stuchbury and Greatworth Windfarm Action Group will be allowed to appear, as will affected individuals.

The procedure is similar to a court case, with advocates for each side taking witnesses through their evidence, followed by cross-examination and re-examination, with an Inspector in the place of a judge. At the end of the hearing of evidence, the Inspector will visit all of the sites referred to during the inquiry, in the presence of both sides. He or she will then retire to consider the evidence and conclude whether to allow or dismiss the appeal. This verdict is expected on or about the 13^th July.

The decision will be final and the only recourse of those aggrieved by it would be an appeal to the High Court on a point of law.

It is customary for the venue to be as close as possible to the site of the proposal so that affected parties can conveniently attend. It is important that those who oppose this hugely significant change in the character of the local countryside should attend as frequently as possible but particularly on the opening day. Whilst the Inspector is basically concerned with the collection of factual evidence, the presence of large numbers of concerned local people will not go unnoticed.

Villagers will recall that Sulgrave Parish Council unanimously objected to this proposal – see here for the reasons – and Chairman Graham Roberts appeared at the Council’s Committee Meeting to make the case on behalf of the village.

See here for South Northants Council’s reasons for refusing the application.

The Helmdon Stuchbury and Greatworth Windfarm Action Group campaigned vigorously against this proposal, with the support of the overwhelming majority of the residents of the affected villages. The group is currently in close contact with South Northants Council to determine the best courses of action to ensure that the necessary vital evidence is presented to the Inspector. See here for details on the Group’s website.

BLUE TIT (Parus caeruleus)

The blue tit is one of the best loved of our garden birds. It is also one of the commonest – the RSPB’s annual Garden Birdwatch records its presence in almost 100% of our gardens; the countryside population is estimated at almost 3.5 million pairs. It can easily be distinguished from the other members of the family by its bright blue crown – the great tit and the coal tit, for example, have black crowns. All three, as well as the unrelated long-tailed tit, are regular frequenters of our bird-food stations. The blue tit’s usual preferred food is insects, caterpillars and so on, but during the winter months it relies on seeds and the peanuts and other items which we offer.

In earlier days, when doorstep milk deliveries were much commoner than now, the blue tit quickly learned to pierce or remove the bottle-tops and to drink the cream (the current general preference for semi-skimmed milk doesn’t appear to apply to blue tits!)

Another of this bird’s characteristics which we find appealing is its readiness to make use of nest-boxes. The natural choice would be a hole in a tree or wall but any sort of suitable cavity is used; letter boxes and the glove compartments of cars have been used, for example. On a moss and grass foundation, the nest consists of hair, wool and feathers. The single annual brood may number from about 5 to as many as 14 young. Most of them will not live to adulthood, but that’s nature’s way of maintaining a balanced population.

   Text by George Metcalfe

   Photograph by John Sheppard

After a day of torrential rain, almost thirty carol singers turned out to perform traditional carols in many places around the village, whilst the children knocked on doors to wish residents a happy Christmas and make collections for charity.

The singers stop to perform a carol for the new residents of Dippers Cottage in Little Street.......

....which seems to be much appreciated by the lady of the house......

....and her dog!

Parish Council Chairman and Newsletter Editor are not forgotten

Delicious home made soup, mulled wine and cakes to finish off the evening

Carol Singing 2010

Carol singing 2009

Carol singing 2008

Carol singing 2007

Carol singing 2006