Not in my back yard

Suggested opportunities of HS2

• Capacity:Provide additional rail capacity to pressured rail network

• Faster journey times

• Potential to link to Heathrow Airport

• Cheaper and less disruptive than upgrading existing lines

• Improved economic competitiveness of areas outside London

• Links to European high-speed rail network

• Stimulus for tourism

• Support inward investment

• Ensure Britain keeps pace with other leading European countries.

• Link city regions such as the Midlands, the North East and Scotland to international gateways and help to benefit areas outside of the wider south east

• Provide viable alternative to domestic flights and car travel

• Contribute to lower carbon emissions and meet national targets

Suggested challenges of HS2

•  Threat to landscapes including the Chilterns and Lake District

• Noise pollution to neighbouring communities

• Threat to local habitat and wildlife

• Higher ticket price means new line will mainly benefit the wealthy

• Areas of the country that are not serviced by the new high speed line could lose business and investment

• Train line will pass by local communities and residential areas but will not benefit from a local station

• Could reduce house prices of neighbouring residents

• Fears that the trains will be under used

• Increased carbon emissions per passenger to run services

Plans to address these challenges include:

• Sinking the train tracks 3ft below ground to reduce noise

• Trees to line parts of the route to reduce noise

• Tunnelling considered for section of route passing substantial settlements

• Governments are considering grants to pay for noise proofing of nearby homes

Wind farms: Harmful or harmless?

Wind farms are increasingly becoming the focus of debates on the UK’s commitment to a low-carbon energy future – dividing both local and national opinion.

The two broad groups opposing each other essentially want the same thing:  protection of the environment

The difference is scale – with some looking to safeguard their local environment while others are looking to the wider national and global benefit.

The challenge is not over who is right or wrong but how best to balance these two differing opinions.

It is a complex and highly opinionated problem which needs to be resolved. The UK has committed to a target of cutting carbon emissions by 80% by 2050.

“Compared with many other forms of development (like new housing, shopping, or commercial buildings), the benefits of wind energy developments tend to be much less concentrated in the area around the development. For example, the benefits of reduced carbon emissions are global and the contribution of wind energy to improving the security of energy supplies is nationwide.”

Those who oppose wind farms can be from both local communities (based on a geographical location) as well as communities of interest, who have a shared outlook with regard to priorities, politics and commonly held beliefs.

There is great difficulty in defining the ‘local benefits’ of a wind farm – some advantages may only be of benefit to part of the local community.

Local people often have very different points of views about what constitutes a benefit or even an impact on their area. This can be based on aesthetics or principle; location or effectiveness.

For wind farms

• Clean carbon-free energy source

• Less of an eyesore than traditional energy plants

• Contributes to UK commitments to low-carbon energy

• Provides opportunity for local and regional employment (construction and maintenance)

• Investment opportunity for residents and businesses

• Uses relatively small amount of land

• Educational opportunities for local schools

• Visitor centres and tourist facilities

• Opportunity for establishing a developers fund which benefits local residents

Against wind farms

• Visually damaging to the local environment and landscape

• Harmful to the character of the area

• Noise pollution from the turbines can be intrusive

• Shadow flicker from turning blades

• Potential damage to local wildlife

• Adverse effect on local house prices

• Consider wind energy to be ineffective and costly, as they are whether dependent.

• Inconvenience to residents during construction

• Think wind farms are better located off shore

On land or offshore?

Questions have been raised over whether wind farms would be better sited offshore rather than on land in Britain. In January 2010, Prime Minister Gordon Brown launched a £100bn programme to build more offshore wind farms. It is hoped that a third of Britain’s energy will be provided by these new wind farm zones by 2020.

Benefits of offshore:

• Less visually harmful location, therefore less objection to projects

• Areas have faster wind speeds and therefore have greater potential capacity

• They can be built bigger and produce more energy

Problems with offshore:

• More expensive to construct wind turbines offshore

• More expensive to maintain turbines offshore due to corrosive effect of salt water

• Turbines could be out of action for months at a time if they fail during winter months, due to the remoteness of their location

Lessons from other countries

Comparing European countries with high levels of wind energy development – such as Spain, Denmark and Germany – highlight that community benefits could be successful within UK wind developments.

Communities in these countries typically enjoy some of the benefits of local wind farms as a matter of routine. Local benefits are effectively built into the fabric of any project, usually taking the form of the local tax payments, jobs and economic benefits from regional manufacturing, and, for Denmark and Germany, opportunities for local ownership.

21st Century Challenges held a panel discussion on 3 March 2010 to discuss the issue.

Hear about this challenge from:

Julian Glover, Chief leader writer for The Guardian