Tiny Turbines Twins

The carefully minded & sighted of you who pass the Pickenhams will have noticed some smaller offspring in the vicinity. Two small turbines, not unlike larger versions of the St Andrew's school windmill, have appeared at Dennis' Kings Row Farm on the high ground off Houghton Lane. 
A rather more leisurely, larger bladed turbine is nearer to the airfield eight, nearby to the Matthews' turkey sheds, at the Blackmore's Daleacres farm in South Pickenham.

EDP

A fair wind for bio digester?

This part of Norfolk either embraces alternative methods of energy production, such as the turbines at North Pickenham and Swaffham, undecided, such as the proposed turbine in nearby Shipdham, or opposed like the electrical sub station, for the Dudgeon off shore wind farm, in Little Dunham.

Renewable Energy Association

Reports today that Dutch business man Teun Smits and Bury St Edmunds based Qualiflex Biproduct Solutions Limited are set to show plans of a recycling and anaerobic digester plant, to be based at West Lexham, at an exhibition to be held at Castle Acre Village Hall, in Pye’s Lane, from 4pm to 7pm on November 10th. The general principle of the plant is that waste organic matter goes in one end and biogas fuel and farm friendly fertiliser comes out the other. Only time will tell whether locals welcome the idea, with 30 direct long term jobs promised, on the positive side, and environmental aromas and increased heavy transport on the other.

Persistent Planning Permission Petition Part 3

News is that planning permission for the large Dunham Electrical Sub Station, to be located just the other side of the A47 from the Pickenhams, has been rejected by the government ministers.

EDP

Warwick Energy has six weeks to appeal the decision.

Bracing Breckland part 2

Face freezing but snow free, the clouds looked menacing but blue broke through before blackness beckoned now that we under a month away from the shortest day. 

All photos © J Reed

Darkness fell over the turbines by the Bernard Matthews' turkey sheds as news of its founder's demise yesterday was released. My recently departed neighbour told me that her father, a farmer in my village, knew Bernard when he had his '20 eggs and a second-hand incubator'. He laughed that no one would eat turkey except as a whole bird at Christmas. The group turned over £330 million of its turkey based convenience food in 2008!

Tartan Tidal Turbines

With some of the highest tides of the year on the Norfolk coast today, a rise and fall of around four metres at Wells next the Sea, the intrinsic power of nature came to mind. It makes one wonder whether, as well as harnessing the wind around our wonderful coastline, the power of the bi-daily rise and falls could be harvested. There was news today from Scotland of the unveiling of the AK-1000 tidal turbines which will harness the endless power source from Crown Estate waters off the Orkneys and the Pentland Firth.

The turbines, built by Atlantis Resources Corporation, are said to be environmentally friendly with the blades, turning only at between 6 to 8 revolutions per minute, safe to the aquatic fauna. 

A slightly tardy update on the Matthews' Two. A meeting of the Breckland Development Control Committee on 2nd June approved the recommendation to allow the two turbines at the Bernard Matthews' turkey sheds at the airfield on a 25 year lease. I can report no signs of building work as yet with working turbines not due until 2011.

Swaffham's Sun Seeking Solar Silicone Cells

EDP24

Swaffham is in the record books with the biggest solar panel in UK, it is situated underneath the Ecotech turbine next to Waitrose. The 10x5 metre panel tracks the sun which can increase the amount of energy produced by 30% over a static one. Being one of only three in the UK, the generating device costs £50K. That would buy a lot of electricity, wonder how long before it pays for itself?

Turkey Turbines Given Green Light Local Planning Permission

© J Reed

Despite some concerns by the existing turbine owners Enertrag, who fear interference with the eight they run, the two Bernard Matthews' turbines at North Pickenham airfield appear to have been given the green light. Chris Raine, the senior development control officer, will report to Breckland Council this Wednesday with a recommendation to grant planning permission for the 25 year lifespan of the turbines.

Green, Green Grass of Home

A picture may well be worth a thousand words, but there is a good reason why East Anglia is green and the rain comes from the likes of the clouds photographed today. Statistically we have one of the driest climates in Britain but there is still enough rain for our flora to flourish.

Today's wood walk in West Acre, behind Narford Hall, can be summed up with one word - green. April showers have come to May and the whole wood was vibrant with green shoots. We did bump into an old friend, a blue grey Great Dane puppy who is now fully grown and stands equal to my waist now. Bertie is a little scared, although our friend is a softy he plays like a Terrier. Too much for the less than brave Lurcher.

The idyll was only slightly tempered by an unseasonal chill and the background soundtrack from nearby RAF Marham.

Will May Blossom?

© J Reed

With the consistency of death and taxes, the weather forecast for the bank holiday weekend was not so good. Just as well, then, that plans were not made for indoor pursuits as the sun shone with sporadic and dramatic cloudscapes.

© J Reed

Not the rain but the onslaught of my first, and hopefully last, runny nose cold of the year kept me at home today. Still, in a manly way as all of my fellow sex deal with a debilitating cold, I ventured into Swaffham for some drugs, fruit juice and a box of balm infused tissues to relieve my reddening nose. 

On the way home, I had the strength to quickly photograph the turbines at the airfield against a lovely sky.

© J Reed

Now, should I join Rudolf with a glass of red wine or will it not mix well with the drugs? Think I'll risk it.

Sauntered up to Sheringham Park

Went to sunny Sheringham Park to walk with sort of relatives with five dogs and one less sproglet. Beautiful views matched by the calm winds and warm sunshine. I was proud to climb the Gazebo tower without thoughts of my vertigo and, unlike two years ago, I remained on my two feet and didn't need to sit down in the middle of the upper platform for five minutes to compose myself before a shaking, humiliating descent. It is the slight give under foot by the wooden boards that pervert the usually stable brain cells.
Wonderful views, though.

Weybourne beach was stony but beautiful with signs that the Dudgeon wind farm land fall cable site is being dredged just offshore with the implications to Pickenhams' nearby neighbours The Dunhams and the proposed sub station.
The children had fun, so did the dogs .

All photos © J Reed

Turbulent Times for Turbine Traders? Tosh.

Turbines are a hot topic in East Anglia with applications for, or protests against, onshore farms almost a weekly news headline. Stamford Renewables have sent applications to Waveney District Council for three sets of three turbines on three sites. The turbines will be like these at North Pickenham and not like the obviously offshore type shown in this EDP article.

© J Reed

Offshore wind firm companies are booming. Great Yarmouth based Seajacks, a company that provides portable if not pocket sized offshore lifting solutions, has just been bought by the Americans in a multimillion pound deal.

Permission for a turbine at HMP Bure at the old RAF Coltishall are in doubt  with other plans for the remainder of the site. TAG Aviation are in talks with the landlord, the Ministry of Justice, to use the airfield facilities for aircraft decommissioning with the proposed turbine thought to be an aviation hazard. Of course, a new employer in the region would be welcomed.

Street Advertising Services created this 3D piece of art for A4e who aid the long term unemployed back to work with advice, work placements and help inspiring self confidence, making people believe they can cut the mustard. Very apt from the home of Colmans. Perhaps 'Lottery Lout' Michael Carroll could give them a call. Having squandered just under £10 million in just over 7 years, Carroll is now officially unemployed with only his wrecked mansion to his name. Perhaps a new career at the mustard merchant? I've got the headline already: Chief Chav Chooses Colman's Catering Career Change.

In a spin

In this media savvy society, we must all get used to the fact that news may be factual but often designed to lead us down a certain path.

Norfolk Coast's unbiased report on the Tories' pledge to ditch the Unitary Authority for Norfolk, should they come to nationwide government, defies those in more direct control who want a single authority, as reported in the EDP.

Turbine tormented townsfolk, such as those in Beccles, may have lost their biggest allies since it seems that the stealth turbine blade experiments at NP were a success, belying the objections from the Ministry of Defence that all blades interfere with military radar. The Pickenhams' broadly welcomed our eight turbines, so it was reported.

Maybe you could use your vote to make the difference. Worries that stopping the traditional overnight poll counting may aid vote rigging was reported yesterday, how many of you will miss those returning officer allnighter thrillers?

Choice Coastal Site Sights

I was reminded this week of fondant UK holidays, before and after the move to East Anglia, by a Tweeted Twitpic of a sledging slope from bracing Cromer by journo edpmary.

Pictured, the cliff top walk is between Cromer and another Victorian favourite Overstrand, affectionately known as Poppyland. I have stayed at the rather grand Sea Marge hotel but equally enjoyed a step back in time home cooked meal at the dog friendly, and aptly named, Cliff Top Cafe. I have such fond memories of this tea and cake emporium, I have a print by Brian Lewis on my wall with a view from the cafe, across the crab pots, out to sea.

As of yet, there is nothing concrete, or metal come to that, on the horizon. But, by 2011, 88 turbines should be up and running each of which producing twice as much energy as the land locked Enertrag windmills at North Pickenham.

Sheringham  Shoal, to be sited 10 miles off the coast, should produce over 1TWh of energy annually, enough to power a quarter of a million houses, assuming the wind keep blowing. With steady sales of windbreaks on the Norfolk coast, there is every chance of that.

Should be enough juice to power the historic octagonal Cromer lighthouse, built in 1833 and now unmanned since 1990, for some time to come. No such local energy available for the beacons on the Northern Sea Route, also known as the North East Passage, joining Western Europe to the Barents Strait and beyond via the Arctic Circle. In Soviet times the route, which dramatically reduced the distance travelled compared to the trip via the Suez Canal, pinpointed peril points with nuclear powered lighthouses. The radioisotope thermoelectric generators are less potent than regular nuclear power plants and were also used in soviet satellites.

Now redundant, relinquished and rather rumpled, the decaying monoliths, still with their nuclear hearts intact, are free for the foolhardy to photograph or pilfer precious plate. Photographed on a clement day belies the dangers hidden during perpetual darkness and heavy storms. This one is on Sakhalin, Russia's largest island off the east coast just north of Japan, one of many lighthouses that surround the island, whose seas occasionally ice over.

Talk of cliffs and icing brings back those holiday memories at Overstrand. The delicious cakes were more in the Victoria Sponge, Dundee and Lemon Drizzle variety rather than this collection of cup cakes. 101 cakes, with icing in the form of games of one sort or another, to celebrate the new year. Crazy creative cookery colouring.

Turbine Green Light

A thousand plus new turbines have been sanctioned today, by the Crown Estate, off the east coast of Norfolk. Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Ed Milliband, is enthusiastic for Great Britain to gain a strategic role, and therefore commercial prominence, in offshore wind energy to promote research & development and jobs in this sector. Mr Milliband is keen to reverse the missed chances surrounding onshore production with only small farms like the turbines at North Pickenham coming to fruition.

Lots of energy but nowt to make warming tea

So the big news from these parts was not snow but the causations of snow. Following the 'War of the Worlds' lightning during last nights snow fall, I decided to give the film another watch. The machines were just rising from the ground, dematerialising NYC residents as they went, when they zapped the power supply. We used to get outages quite often here in winter months but, after an upgrade to the overhead wires, I have become a little complacent and stocks of candles and spare batteries are no longer stocked. Went to bed, after watching Ronin on the laptop aside a toasty wood burner, but awoke in darkness until the sun rose. Crispy walk later, with camera and dog, the snow descended again before power restored around 3pm. Most of the turbines were still turning throughout.
Energy energy everywhere, but not a drop to make a warm drink.

© J Reed

Welcome

In the beginning...

Inspired by my new friends @ Norfolk Coast here are my first musings from Mid Norfolk.

North Pickenham is probably most famous for its disused airfield with the eight turbines operated by Enertrag and the largest turkey farm courtesy of Norfolk legend Bernard Matthews. BM has applied to put up two turbines of his own on the site, completely independent from those already there, and not everyone is pleased about it. Planning applications to Breckland Council can now be viewed on line including any formal objections with this simple planning application search facility. Further plans for more modern windmills just down the road were reported in the EDP and that's on top of the two already in Swaffham.

No Denver Boots in clamp down, just on the spot fines

Free parking has always been a blessing to both shopper and purveyor in Norfolk market towns. Thankfully, plans to charge have roused great opposition. Anyone who has had the displeasure of driving and parking in Central London will know of the running battles with traffic wardens (I was once fined for double parking. The evidence provided were two photographs of my car facing in different directions, I was doing a three point turn!) Such madness has not spread this far north east but the EDP reports that the police will crack down on illegal parking in Swaffham, especially on market days.

Unitary or not unitary

After the failure by Suffolk Councils to stop them and to the disappointment of KNL (Keep Norfolk Local) group of district councils, the Boundary Commission has reported to the Secretary of State and has recommended a Norfolk Unitary Authority. 

To have your say write to:

Unitary Structures Team

Zone 3/J1

Eland House

Bressenden Place

London SW1E 5DU

or email NorfolkStructures@communities.gsi.gov.uk

Deadline is 19th January 2010.