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New school and 50ft wind turbine plan for Shoebury on hold (From Echo)
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New school and 50ft wind turbine plan for Shoebury on hold
2:10am Wednesday 3rd February 2010
PLANS for the new Hinguar Primary School, including proposals for a 50ft-high wind turbine, have been temporarily withdrawn.
The plans are on hold while architects address concerns from the Environment Agency over the risk of flooding.
Shoebury ward councillor Mike Assenheim, a member of Southend Council’s environment control committee, said the delay was only temporary and the school was still on schedule to open in early 2012.
He added: “It has been withdrawn because the Environment Agency has called in the planning permission. The architects don’t see any problems. They may have to raise the building a few inches, then the plans will be resubmitted towards the end of February.”
The proposed wind turbine was put forward as part of proposals to make the new school, in Shoebury Garrison, as environmentally friendly as possible.
But residents who opposed the scheme were concerned it would be a “blot on the landscape”.
Verina Weaver, a former Conservative councillor who lives on the garrison site, welcomed the decision over the plans.
She said: “I am delighted it has been withdrawn. Even if it is a temporary measure, it will give people the opportunity to look at this proposal more carefully, to gauge its impact on residents.
“Nationally, there is a move away from wind turbines near homes because, even if they are 1,000 metres away, people still complain they keep them awake at night.
“If we had a wind turbine on the garrison, it would also set a precedent. The proposed new health centre might want one and, before you know, we could have quite a few.
“I am all for the new school being eco-friendly, but a wind turbine there is not ideal.”
Rebuilding the school, off Barge Pier Road, will allow pupils and staff to move from their present cramped site in Hinguar Street.
The turbine would provide power for the school and even allow energy to be sold to the National Grid.
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firedog, Southend-on-sea says...
5:01pm Tue 2 Feb 10
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'V', In the Vicinity says...
3:37pm Tue 2 Feb 10
Quite. It will also allow Southend Council to sell off the current Hinguar School buildings and land to developers. They in turn will demolish yet another of Shoebury's historic old buildings and build more fugly blocks of flats.
Of course the real prize to developers won't be the school site, it will be the school playing field in George Street. Beachfront land, ripe for more of their ugly blocks.