Residents give thumbs-up to wind turbine on Hackney Marshes

Artist

Residents have overwhelmingly said ‘yes’ to the idea of having a wind turbine on Hackney Marshes to generate green energy.

In response to the Council’s recent public consultation, 87 per cent said they were in favour of the proposal.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is already going ahead with one wind turbine on Eton Manor in Waltham Forest, and as part of this there is an opportunity for Hackney Council to install a second wind turbine at East Marsh to generate local renewable energy as part of the legacy of the 2012 Games.

If a wind turbine is put on East Marsh, the two wind turbines together could generate enough green electricity to power Hackney’s main council buildings and nearly all of its street lighting, according to a Council spokesperson.

Jules Pipe, Mayor of Hackney, said, “At the beginning of the consultation I said that, although I was enthusiastic about the idea, it would be for Hackney residents to decide if the proposal was to be taken forward.

“As 87 per cent are in favour, of the more than 700 people who took part, the Council will now look at the next stages to make this idea a reality.

“Although minimising energy usage is the highest priority, this is an opportunity to generate truly local green energy to power things for the community. It would also deliver a further cut in carbon emissions, helping to keep Hackney one of the greenest boroughs in London.”

Mayor Pipe added, “A key stage to come will be for any chosen turbine operator to satisfy the planning authorities that there will be a minimal impact on the environment, such as wildlife.”

The Council is expecting to be able to purchase energy at a cost lower than traditional sources, such as coal. It also expects to receive rent for the land the turbine would occupy, which would be invested in sports facilities on the Marshes.

The Council will now begin a procurement process with the aim of buying power generated by both turbines, for up to 25 years.

If a good deal can be secured, the Council will move to the next stage. The chosen turbine operator would then have to submit a detailed planning application for the proposed East Marsh turbine, giving residents a further chance to comment.

Background

Hackney Council ran the public consultation from 19 October to 14 December 2009. 712 people took part in the consultation. Read the consultation report here.

The consultation questionnaire asked respondents to give their view on the proposal to put a wind turbine on East Marsh by responding to the three statements (below). They were also given the opportunity to make comments on their responses, and to suggest how Hackney can become a greener borough.

•           I would support the wind turbine if the electricity generated can be used in Hackney for the benefit of the local community

•           I would support the wind turbine regardless of where the electricity is used

•           I would not support the wind turbine proposal under any circumstances

Wind turbines are about 120m tall and the rotors about 80m across. They have a narrow stem but require an exclusion zone of 80m. Its base would be underground and could be grassed over.

The Council says that the turbine would not impact on sports on the Marshes: after the Games, East Marsh will get new playing fields as planned and the turbine would not reduce the number of pitches planned to be provided (ten pitches after the Games).

East Marsh will temporarily be used for coach parking and parking for disabled visitors during the Games. It will remain in use for football until May 2011, returning by late 2013.

During this time, teams will be able to play on pitches on North and South Marsh which the Council says will undergo major improvements from 2009-2011.

There is a legal agreement in place between Hackney Council and the London Development Agency (LDA) to ensure East Marsh is returned in good condition for football.

The LDA has put into an account a sum of money equivalent to the cost of returning the fields to playing condition.  This money is either returned to the LDA when the Council is satisfied the fields are in a suitable condition, or is used by the Council to carry out the works in default.

According to the Council, extensive bird and bat surveys have been carried out to ensure that there will be no significant impact on ecology within the East Marsh area. Proposed mitigation measures include extending the habitat corridor around East Marsh, using an access track design that allows vegetation to grow through and widening the habitat corridor on South and North Marsh.

Planning applications from potential operators of the turbine would need to include full Environmental Impact Assessments to ensure minimal effects on wildlife.

The Council says that noise levels have been tested, and that noise the turbine would make if it were on East Marsh would be less than local traffic. Tests for shadows of the moving blades show that the wind turbine would not interfere with football and other sports being played on the Marshes.

Previous story here.