Turbines impact under review
THE visual impact of Cornwall's biggest wind farm is under review after protesters challenged "misleading" claims it would have a minimal effect on the Davidstow countryside.
Developer Community Windpower Ltd has confirmed it will carry out an "in house review" of the photomontages submitted to North Cornwall planners as part of the company's Environmental Statement supporting the proposal.
The company seeks to site a 20-turbine windfarm on a skyline location within Davidstow Woods, clearings and surrounding farmland.
If successful, the development would see the 126m high turbines, with 92.5m diameter rotor blades, dominate the North Cornwall landscape for the next 25 years.
Leading objector Colin Caudery, of Stop Turbines in North Cornwall (STINC), said Community Windpower's Environmental Statement, which has been accepted by council planners, was "glaringly wrong."
Instead, he showed images which he claims give a clearer understanding of the visual impact of the windfarm. "The wide-angle panoramas that reduce the visual impact of the turbines are misleading. They seem much further away than they would be in reality. The company has greatly under-represented the visual impact of the scheme," he said.
A Community Windpower spokeswoman said: "We are aware of comments raised by objectors in relation to the visual assessment and photomontages which have been submitted and accepted by North Cornwall District Council's planning department.
"The council and landscape consultants are currently assessing the photomontages and Community Windpower is conducting an in-house review of the photomontages for the Davidstow scheme. Following its review, Community Windpower will respond accordingly."










Comments
by N Lys, Hilltown
Wednesday, September 24 2008, 12:56AM
“The photomontages presented in Environmental Statements are very often misleading.
They seldom provide an accurate prediction of visual impacts because of the way they use stitched, wide-angle panoramas. These bend the original interpretation of the SNH guidelines to the limit.
Architech Animation Studios have produced a very clear exposition of the problems with visualisations and the way they understate the visual impacts.
See: 'The Visual Issue': http://www.thevisualissue.com/”