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The Bradworthy Wind Turbines
Councillor
Christie's Weblog
From your Torridge District Councillor Peter Christie
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21st October '07
How interesting to see that the idea of producing energy from a tidal barrage across the Severn estuary has again come to the forefront of discussion over how to tackle perceived energy shortages in the UK. I well remember some twenty years ago helping to organise a public debate in Barnstaple Guildhall on this very scheme. We managed to get one of the senior engineers behind the plan to address us and he was quite certain that building could have started the following day if the political will had been there to see it through. He did rather waive aside possible environmental impacts citing instead the cost as the main problem. It was, at that time, costed at about the same sum as the Channel Tunnel – not perhaps the best guideline price one might want given its rather chequered financial history. Let us hope that this time there will be a real, mature discussion on the subject and it doesn’t seem to disappear again like so many other inherently beneficial schemes such as the tidal current power generator off Lynton, the deep water array of wind turbines in the Bristol Channel or mini HEP plants here in North Devon. This proposed tidal power station had an echo in the proposal some six years ago for a feasibility study into generating electricity from a barrage across the mouth of the Taw and Torridge estuaries. This was only a feasibility study but even so I was the only councillor to vote in favour of it. Since those days of course global warming and associated sea level rise could well prove an insoluble problem to any fixed tidal power generation. The South West has the potential to become a real, literal power house for the UK – if only the political will is forthcoming. I look forward to the debate.
Most of us prefer not to think about death – but it happens to all of us eventually and many of those who wish to be buried rather than cremated will be expecting to be interred near to where they live now. For those in Northam, however, this will soon be impossible as the present cemetery is becoming full. Some years ago the district council purchased some land with a view to developing a new cemetery but this has now been found to ‘not be fit for purpose’. When this was made known to councillors some harsh words were said. For example, councillor Len Ford a long time sexton/gravedigger thought it disgraceful that Torridge weren’t to provide a new burial ground and this seemed to be a feeling shared by others. Of course our problems in this area are nothing compared to cemeteries in large cities that are rapidly reaching crisis point. Their solution has been to re-use old graves and dig them much deeper to allow for multiple burials in one plot. At what point, I wonder, will we examine this ‘solution’ here in Bideford and Northam? Having dug up so many bodies in an earlier job as an archaeologist I am personally not too worried about sharing a grave – but I suspect quite a few of my readers may not share that feeling – but what is the alternative if you do not wish to be cremated?
What does the Merton Rule mean to you? It has nothing to do with the local village but comes from the London borough of Merton where several years ago the council introduced (and were followed by 140 others) a requirement for all new build housing developments over a certain size to have 10% of their energy come from renewable sources. This would, it is true, add slightly to the cost of a new house but savings made through lower energy bills would soon repay this initial outlay. All well and good one might think but over recent months powerful national house building firms have been lobbying the Government to have the Merton Rule abolished. Torridge are actively looking to introduce it and at the last full council meeting councillor Miranda Cox put forward a motion that TDC should make representations to the minister Yvette Cooper to retain the Rule in connection with local developments. She was supported by Conservative councillor Tony Collins who thought no-one would be surprised at a Labour government going back on its word, whilst Andrew Symons reckoned the Government should support the Rule ‘to fight fuel poverty and provide decent housing’. The vote when it came was almost unanimous with only councillor Bob Hicks voting against. We will wait and see if the Government does give in to private interests or not.
Development seems to be occurring all over Bideford at the moment with new building sites constantly being identified. One prime position is the piece of land at the end of Ethelwynne Brown Close. Currently owned by the district council officers have decided it is ‘surplus to requirements’ and have suggested selling it for housing development. Originally it was to have a restriction placed on it that would limit residents to over-55s but as the ‘would have a detrimental effect on the valuation for sale purposes’ it has now been lifted. When this item came up at a recent council meeting I suggested we use it for affordable homes for local people but was told that Torridge needed money badly and thus the site would go to the highest bidder – and given that it has a prime riverside location clearly it could raise a considerable sum. I lost the debate but I do wonder how this decision will sit with private landowners out there who the council are suggesting sell their land at below market prices to allow for the construction of affordable homes?
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