The City Council typically spends over £4 million a year on electricity alone - the cost of power for public services, public buildings and streetlights. The plan to generate electricity from two wind turbines at Avonmouth would see this bill cut, and be the greatest single factor in reducing the council's carbon footprint, helping to tackle climate change in the process.
The proposed location for the two turbines is off Severn Road in Avonmouth, a former Shell oil tank site, which is already owned by the City Council. This open coastal setting has very good wind exposure, easy links with the national grid, and is around a third of a mile distant from the nearest residence.
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The Avonmouth exhibition is part of the first phase of consultation and the views and comments collected will help in preparation of a planning application expected this summer. The planning process will then give individuals and organisations the opportunity to comment on the final, detailed plans.
The Severn Road site is a little way up the coast from the three-turbine wind farm at the Port of Bristol. A full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is being carried out which will feed into the planning process, as the Severn estuary is an important habitat for various species, particularly birds, and is covered by several habitat designations. There will be a further consultation and a chance to comment on the EIA when it is published later this year.
Cllr Mark Bradshaw, Executive Member for Access and the Environment, said: "This project will allow our city to make a big step towards meeting its obligations on CO2 reduction and sustainability. It will also help the City Council to exercise more control over its energy needs, supply and costs making it both an environmentally friendly proposal as well as one which is good for Council Tax payers."
(JM)
