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Two public exhibitions are being held to provide more information about plans to build three wind turbines on land next to the River Trent near Clifton Bridge, Nottingham.
The exhibitions — in Beeston and Clifton, from April 16 to 21 — will include detailed maps and plans, artist’s impressions of what the proposed turbines might look like in situ, and a summary of progress to date.
Public meetings are also scheduled at both venues, when residents will have the chance to ask questions about the proposal.
The University of Nottingham is proposing to build three turbines on its land at Grove Farm, near Clifton Bridge, to generate ‘green’ electricity that will help power its University Park campus. Wind energy is a clean, renewable source of energy that produces no greenhouse gas emissions.
The turbines would be up to 125 metres high and would supply renewable electricity to meet a third of the electricity needs of University Park.
The public events are as follows:
• Clifton: exhibition April 16 – 21 at Clifton Cornerstone, open 8am–7pm Monday to Friday (8pm on Wednesdays), 9am–1pm Saturday. Public meeting Wednesday, April 20 at Clifton Cornerstone 6.30pm–7.45pm. Meeting is an open public invitation.
• Beeston: exhibition April 16 - 21 at Beeston Library, open 9.30am–7.30pm Monday to Friday, 9am–4pm Saturday. Public meeting Thursday, April 21 at Beeston Library 11.15am–12.45pm. Meeting is an open public invitation.
Members of University staff will be attending the public meetings to answer any questions that residents may have. Feedback cards will also be available at both exhibitions, for visitors to pass on their comments.
Professor Alan Dodson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Environment and Infrastructure, said: “The University is determined to play its part in the fight against global warming. By generating electricity through renewable methods such as wind power, we can make a major step towards our overall carbon reduction target of 34 per cent by 2020.
“We would like to invite residents to come along to these exhibitions and meetings, so they can see the plans for themselves, and see how we are working hard to meet and exceed stringent requirements in terms of environmental impact, wildlife, noise and other considerations.”
The exhibitions follow a public meeting held in Beeston in November 2010, at which residents were able to direct questions to senior University staff, after the announcement of the scheme in October. Councillors and community representatives were also able to quiz staff at a Nottingham City Council area committee meeting in Clifton.
On March 22 2011, the University arranged a coach visit for 50 interested residents from Beeston and Clifton to a wind farm at Lindhurst Farm in Rainworth, Nottinghamshire, so they could see modern turbines in action.
It is estimated that the turbines would reduce the University’s carbon emissions by 7,000 tonnes per year, equating to 40 per cent of the target reductions required by 2015.
An assessment of all the University’s land holdings by the Carbon Trust identified the Grove Farm location, off Thane Road, as the most suitable for wind generation.
A full planning application for the project is expected to be submitted in May/June and, subject to planning approval, the turbines would be installed in 2012. Construction would take place over a period of approximately six months.
More information, including maps, frequently-asked questions, and visualisations of the proposed wind turbines, is available at: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/renewableenergyproject/index.aspx
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. It was named ‘Europe’s greenest university’ in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, a league table of the world’s most environmentally-friendly higher education institutions, which ranked Nottingham second in the world overall.
The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 40,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power.
The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.
More news from the University at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news