The way that Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) are handled on the Isle of Wight are being planned for the future – 2009-2014 – at the moment and with around half of the Island being AONB, it’s obviously important.
Public consultations have been running since November 2008 and if you want your say, you’ve only got until this Wednesday, 14th January 2009 to get your comments in.
Background on how it has been organised over previous years is available, as is a PDF of the rather lovely looking proposed management plan.
The PDF also has an “aspirational vision for the AONB in 2025,” on page five of the PDF. The opening paragraph is
Looking into the future, the Isle of Wight AONB has become nationally renowned as an important and treasured landscape. People, who live, work and visit the area value, appreciate and understand its special qualities and support its continued conservation and enhancement. People are able to experience ‘dark skies’ and peace and tranquillity as part of the experience of living and working in, or visiting the AONB. Seascapes remain an important part of the character of the AONB and its Heritage Coasts.
Wind turbine concerns
Those concerned with the introduction of wind turbines on the Island have raised a warning flag about section 12-4 (page 38 of the PDF), which covers wind turbines in areas of outstanding natural beauty.
It details the current position statement of the Countryside Agency and the National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, opening with a paragraph containing, “Large commercial wind energy developments … should (therefore) be resisted.”
The next para is the one that worries anti-turbine people …
The character of the countryside in some parts of an AONB or its surroundings may mean that small-scale wind energy schemes (one to three turbines ranging up to 500kW, in the
region of 60m height to blade tip, and with clusters no less than 10km apart) could be accommodated, where they do not compromise the objectives of the designation and respect the
local countryside character.
Philip Marshall, a resident of Shorwell told VentnorBlog, “Clearly this goes against all the reasons for designating the area an AONB (both visually and for wildlife) and is the thin end of the wedge – 60 metres today 120 tomorrow?; clusters of 3 today and how many tomorrow?”
For further background on the situation have a read of the Isle of Wight Renewable Energy Strategy, written in 2002, projecting what could be possible in 2010.
Image: Copyright IW AONB
