Why Lamonby?

The site is windy with suitable road access and grid connection options. It was identified within an 'Area of Search' for wind farms in a study commissioned by Cumbria County Council. The turbines have been located to exceed minimum distances from properties set out in best practice guidelines, and an Environmental Impact Assessment has predicted no adverse effects.

The Lamonby Wind Farm would:

• Provide enough renewable electricity to supply 6,950 homes - that's more than all the homes in Penrith
• Save over 28,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year, this is equivalent to the benefits of upgrading insulation in over 55,000 homes or reducing petrol consumption by 240 litres/yr for every single resident of Eden district
• Help to combat climate change and contribute to the Government's Renewable Energy Target (15% by 2015)
• Reduce reliance on finite and imported fuel sources
• Increase renewable generation capacity in Cumbria by 30%, but only increase the number of turbines by 7%

Local Economic Benefits

It's estimated that the total value to the regional economy of the scheme will be approximately £12m over the life of the project. Benefits include:

• Payments to landowners associated with the wind farm site and grid connection cable route
• Opportunities for local sub-contractors during the wind farm's construction
• A significant proportion of the 30+ construction jobs are expected to be filled locally
• Opportunities for local suppliers of construction materials for the project

Local Community Benefits

Communities around operational E.ON sites also benefit from E.ON's commitment to building strong community relations. Lamonby Wind Farm would be no different - it's estimated that over the operational life of the project, the associated community funds would be over £300,000.

Examples of the types of projects/activities that could benefit form such funds include:

• Improving energy efficiency at local schools
• Provision/improvement of local facilities
• Support/sponsorship of local clubs/societies

Community Engagement

A public exhibition was held in Skelton Village Hall in autumn 2003. Following the exhibition the number of turbines was reduced from eight to five because many members of the community expressed concern about erecting turbines too close to the village of Lamonby.

A further exhibition was held in the St Andrew's Parish Centre in Spring 2006 when the majority of visitors expressed support for the project.

Downlaod the Lamonby Wind Farm Proposal (PDF, 1,245KB)