The video below is two minutes of unedited video footage of traffic flow over Bradford on Avon's town bridge at about 9:00am in the morning. The only opportunity to pedestrians to cross the road occurred when someone pressed the button on the Pelican crossing 50 metres south of the bridge and when the mini roundabout was gridlocked.

I was surprised to find out that only a few Hinton Charterhouse residents were informed about the proposal to install a hydro electric scheme at the mill pond weir. I have written an article about the matter: http://www.freshfordsomerset.co.uk/planning.php#1330891281 

The Circle Theory of Planning

The Circle Theory of Planning ignores all boundaries.  A circle is drawn centred on the site location for the planning application under consideration. In words one might say "consider everything within 2 miles of a site". When planners apply the Circle theory everyone within the circle should have an opportunity to comment on a planning application and environmental factors would be considered by consulting national agencies. 

Parish councils receive invitations to comment on planning applications at their regular monthly meetings. It is the councillors at these meetings that represent the public. They are aware of the possible implications of the planning application which can be gleaned from the application and the accompanying plans together with comments supplied in person or in writing from residents.  This is democracy in action at the lowest level.

The application of the Circle theory of Planning is made by setting the radius of the circle. Residents living within that circle constitute the population that need to be consulted, not consulted directly, except for close neighbours to the application location, but by the circulation of applications to parish councils, and by invitations to submit comments to Development Control.  Unfortunately, the planning application submitted to install an Archimedean screw generator close to Freshford Mill did not benefit from the application of the Circle Theory of Planning. Benefit in the sense of doing justice to Mr John Burnett's application and to informing the population within the defined circle. But then the Circle Theory of Planning does not exist, I have just invented it. However the concept does now exist and it is up to others to decide whether it is useful or not.

The location of the proposed Archimedean Screw Generator by Freshford Mill

Officially, the planning application mentions as its location a parcel of land: Application Number: 11/05463/FUL
Address:
Parcel 7436, Rosemary Lane, Freshford, Bath, Bath And North East Somerset, BA2 7UD

Proposal:
Installation of a hydroelectric scheme comprising of an Archimedes Screw turbine which will be recessed into the
river bank adjacent to the weir, in a concrete channel and a fish pass.

I doubt whether anyone other than planning would know where the parcel of land is located. To make matters worse the application mentions not Freshford Mill weir but Farthingham weir. One local I spoke to, who was born in Freshford almost 50 years ago, said she had never heard of the name Farthingham. I found reference to Farthingham in local historian Alan Dodges's scholarly book on Freshford. Farthingham is a field.  As far as I know the weir is referred to not by name other than Freshford weir or Freshford Mill pond- the place where many locals have gone swimming since time immemorial. By not clearly identifying the location of the proposal in language that local people can understand there has been yet another possible, but unintended, injustice to the integrity of Mr Burnett's application.  To fully appreciate the problem it is necessary to consider Freshford's unique location in terms of boundaries.

The administrative boundaries of Freshford and its hamlets

The village of Freshford is partly in Somerset or to be correct in terms of administrative areas in Bath and North East Somerset (BANES). The village is also partly in Wiltshire. For BANES Development Control (Planning) there are additional factors that can create problems of communication with the public and the wider public who may have concerns about a particular planning application. In addition to a possible need to communicate with Wiltshire's Westwood and Limpley Stock parishes, some of Freshford is in the parish of Hinton Charterhouse.

A development proposal, in this case the application to install an Archimedes screw generator on the River Frome has environmental implications that need to be routinely investigated by national agencies. Both the Environment Agency and English Nature needed to be consulted. Unfortunately, since the generator is going to be located over Freshford's Parish boundary in Hinton Charterhouse (HC) only residents living in HC were informed.  Apparently, the generation of noise seemed to have been disregarded by Planning in this application. Sound travels through air and gradually dissipates, as sound travels in waves, and waves can be reflected, sound may travel further than one would think. As residents along the Frome Valley know sound does travel further than one may think. those who live on the North side of the Frome valley hear A36 traffic noise, we also hear the weir, when the level of traffic on the A36 is low. We also have two or three weekends of noise from motorcycle events over by Farley Hungerford Castle. Similarly those living across the Avon valley in the parish of Winsley may also hear the A36. BANES Development Control did not exactly ignore the noise issue but failed to realise that the proposed development could cause distress to local people who live in different counties and in different parishes. Drawing a circle on a map would have identified residents who could be affected by this proposal and their involvement could have been arranged. A significant number of residents who could be affected by noise live in Wiltshire and those that live in BANES also may live in Freshford parish, rather than Hinton Charterhouse, and some of those that live in Hinton Charterhouse were not informed, probably because they were not close to the weir.

The Frome valley is also regularly visited by people on foot who are enjoying the beauty of this area. It is thus, with the village and hamlets a place of recreation and relaxation in close proximity to large built up areas and regularly enjoyed by local residents, it is green belt. It is thus important to preserve the peaceful nature of the Frome valley where it joins with the River Avon valley not just for the public at large but also for residents. It is a shame that the whole area hasn't been given to the National Trust.

Apparently, there is no need to post a Planning Application notice on a local telegraph pole, lamp post etc. in BANES and possibly elsewhere, which is the usual method to communicate with the public. The result of such an omission has been rising resentment and suspicion and not to mention alarm once locals became aware of the proposal.  That coupled with the failure to inform Freshford and Westwood Parish Councils has again been unfair to Mr Burnett who has submitted all the information required. 

The developers of the Freshford Mill site said to me that they couldn't afford to install a working waterwheel to generate electricity and a dummy one was inserted into the plans. This is a project for a real generator that provided it is not considered to be an eyesore, which I do not think it will be, and does not create a noise nuisance, which is unlikely owing to its design, should be welcomed as a significant contribution to renewable energy generation locally. Unfortunately, as mentioned above the public were not fully informed. 

Acoustic impact of an urban micro hydro scheme

http://www.ep.liu.se/ecp/057/vol6/010/ecp57vol6_010.pdf

Having had an email from Nick Stevens Chairman of Freshford Parish council that the Archimedean screw generator at Freshford Mill pond has not been approved yet, even though work has already been undertaken I decided to visit Iford where the same company (to be confirmed) that has designed the generator for Freshford has a completed installation. The video of that visit is below.

Archidean screw generator at Iford Somerset

There is hardly any additional noise other that the noise of the weir, which is completely acceptable in a riverside setting.  The "garden shed " that hides and is used to deaden the sound of the generator will blend in with its environment and could be partly hidden by natural planting of indigenous species of shrubs. In fact, at the time of my visit the concrete sides of the helical blades were decorated with icicles. Using my videocameras zoom lens results in an increase in the sound volume but this is equivalent to getting closer to the source of the sound. 

To return to the Freshford installation, the planning application is at BANES details:

11/05463/FUL – Hydro-electric scheme on the River Frome

"This hydroelectric scheme is sited at Farthingham Weir on the River Frome south east of the Freshford Mill site.  Its position is within the boundary of Hinton Charterhouse Parish Council, and it is for them to give a formal response to the proposals. Hinton Charterhouse Parish Council are due to meet next on Tuesday 14th February and I anticipate - I have not seen the Agenda - that this application will be before that meeting for consideration. "

". . .Since the site is only just over the Freshford boundary, and lies adjacent to Freshford Mill, Freshford Parish Council have a legitimate interest in making comment on the application.The application will be considered by the Parish Council at its meeting on Monday 13th January.

You may view the Application on the B&NES Planning Portal site.The period of consultation runs until the 1st March.The Application is under consideration and, contrary to what you say, has not been granted."  Nick Stevens Chairman Freshford Parish Council

My view is that if the proposed generator at Freshford Mill Pond will generate no more noise than the installation at Iford I would support it.

It sounds like a Green project, obtaining power from a river. Great, but what do locals expect from these installations? Not surely the concerns of Oxford residents?  What evidence have we had that Freshford Parish Council have been protecting us from a possible nightmare? Read more

It appears that an application to generate electricity from the river Frome at or rather near to Freshford Mill has been "rubber stamped" by planning. Why do I consider that? Because work has been undertaken without full consultation with local residents who might be affected.:

Close inspection of Freshford Parish Council minutes, those that are available in February 2012, being only December Minutes, provide no information about the planning application that may be subject to various planning policies: Green belt, Area of outstanding natural beauty AONB, site of special scientific  interest SSSI and conservation area. The latter does not apply to the field in which the development is taking place, except that the site is intimately associated with Freshford Mill which is IN a conservation area. After all the installation that has been undertaken, and I presume with full planning permission is actually under way. So for example, those residents who live opposite the development and could be affected by noise from the development have had no opportunity to lodge a complaint.

Freshford Parish Council has not managed to provide residents with information about this proposed development. In fact, what must have taken place has been concealed from the public. Why? because planning proposals usually, only result in neighbours being consulted. But what is a neighbour? Those residents of Freshford who live on the A36 side of the Frome valley do not hear traffic noise from the A36 but those who live opposite do hear traffic noise. So when this Archimedean screw based generator comes into operation what will be the effect on the environment?   A continual noise?  At present Freshford and Westwood residents, who might be affected, do not know what to expect.  Perhaps the development will not create a noise nuisance, but if if it does, what is our remedy? My view is that the most beautiful parts of our countryside MUST be preserved for others not those that just live in the area, of course until they move or die, but for everyone, in this country and abroad.  

Here is an extract from the Oxford Mail:

“In this formerly peaceful residential corner of Oxford it is now impossible to escape this terrible noise, even with all one’s double-glazed windows closed. It is like being imprisoned in the engine room of an ocean liner.”

and another:

 “It is really insistent and particularly bad for those who live on the riverside. It is a throbbing sound and it gets noisier at certain times – probably with the water level. But the thing is it never stops.”

What has Freshford Parish council done to protect residents and the environment from the possible nuisance of noise from this Archimedean Screw type generator? On record, the Freshford parish council website nothing! Or does the threat of perpetual noise from this water powered generator not exist?  If so consider the following

Westwood Parish Council concern over noise nuisance at Avoncliff proposal for Archimedes Screw generator

Councillors noted that a significant number of Avoncliff residents had made representations during the public adjournment to register their firm opposition to the proposal to install two Archimedes screw turbines and that knowledge of this proposal had emerged following an application to the Environmental Agency by the applicant (SPE Developments Ltd) for permission to 'extract water' from the River Avon - a requirement if water turbines are to be installed. The objections had centered, largely, on their visual appearance (they will be extremely large and incongruous in the setting of the North Mill in the hamlet of Avoncliff), the noise impact (Archimedes's screw turbines are very noisy), the adverse effect on water flows and water 'back-up' both locally and downstream at Bradford on Avon and the disproportionate scale of the venture - the electrical power to be generated will greatly exceed the domestic requirements of North Mill and it has all the hallmarks of a commercial enterprise (selling power back to the National Grid).

Westwood Parish Council discussed this matter and resolved unanimously to support the residents of Avoncliff in their opposition to the proposed installation of two Archimedes screw turbines at North Mill.

The Parish Council confirmed that it fully supports the generation of 'green' energy but such schemes must be tailored to meet the likely demands of the property involved and to be sympathetic to the location of the property and the environmental impact such schemes will have on the locality. The Council observed that there are other types of turbines suited to such environmentally sensitive locations that would have minimal environmental impact and that would generate electricity far more efficiently than is possible with an Archimedes screw turbine.

The Clerk was asked to write to the Environmental Agency, Wiltshire Council and the Wiltshire Council member for Westwood and Winsley expressing these sentiments.

Westwood Parish Council minutes  

The essential problem for the beautiful mediaeval market town of Bradford on Avon is the amount of traffic that goes through the town. I have filmed two minutes of traffic on a Thursday night at 9:30pm. view video

This film below was taken at 9:30pm on a Thursday evening.  Even on a quiet weekday evening it is quite surprising how many cars there are going in both directions. There are no shops or supermarkets open and people would hardly be returning home from work.

I'll also film two minutes during the day

Update: planning approved the application

"Freshford Mill – Councillor Hugh Delap of Freshford Parish Council has been in contact with the YRD Freshford Ltd administrator. They have raised concerns over a Freshford website which
has un-factual information about the village in general and the Mill in particular posted on it. HD confirmed that this is nothing to do with the PC and is not endorsed by them." From freshford parish council minutes October 2011

Statement: although the website is not identified by name we have not received any requests from Freshford Parish council or any resident of Freshford to amend any content at any time on this website either recently or in the past.   Geoff Edwards Editorial team

Neighbourhood forums

The Localism Bill does promote neighbourhood forums but is somewhat unclear Neighbourhood planning changes in the Localism bill  This website does have a forum on which registered users may exchange views, publish articles, raise concerns and provides an opportunity for others to discuss these concerns. 

The website does thus provide a valuable service to the village and is part of the means be which residents may take part in the democratic process. The forum will of course contain expressions, opinions, and questions that may not be factual. Surely, the YRD Freshford Ltd adminstrator is not suggesting that unfavourable articles and comment be removed?