Batten down the windmills...

[The Natural Philosopher]

Hurricane Katia on the way

[Tim Downie]

near us (Whitelees) seems to have been shut down for days now anyway.

Tim

[Another Dave]

>I'm surprised that there hasn't been more comment here on the proposed new planning rules where there is a presumption in favour of "sustainable" development.

Most of the talk in the press has been about inappropriate housing development on greenfield sites but I'm more concerned about wind farms proliferating everywhere.

Another Dave

[The Natural Philosopher]

Me too. Its a total disgrace.

Underteh guise of 'localism' there is a presumption that what localism means, is nothing to do wuth what local people want: Nothing to do with getting rid of central policy planning. Its the complete reverse. Councils will have to come up with a local plan and woe betide them if it doesn't meet central government targets in terms of housing windmills and housing travellers etc etc.

Its less localist that effing Prescott FFS.

[Adrian Brentnall]

There's something very similar going on over here (Ireland) - where it seems that projects that have a liberal coating of 'Greenwash' will sail through the planning process.

Our local factory (within 160m of the nearest house - and set in an otherwise unspoilt part of the countryside) has been granted permission for a 41m-tall turbine - despite the planning application being riddles with half-truths and bad engineering.

The thing's currently with An Bord Plenala (the national Appeal body) - and we all hope that they have a bit more sense and independence than the local Planners... - but who knows?

Full story here

[funkyoldcortina]

By the time it gets here it will not be a hurricane but it will still be an extra tropical storm, so things may get a bit , er, wet and blowy. Especially in the North West.

[The Natural Philosopher]

well technically no it wont be if by that you mean TROPICAL storm.

HOWEVER there are going to be some hefty winds.

Well over storm force 10 in places.. if you remember the '87 'hurricane' became that way because a small bit of it got compressed and it made it unusually strong over a narrow belt.

Blowy more than wet I think, BUT the pressure will be low so sea levels will be high and there are fairly high tides..

One to watch out for, for sure.

Due to hit Sunday night I think.

[Andy Champ]

One of those graphs shows 50-kt wind probability as below 10% for all mainland Britain, and only over 10% for the Hebrides.

Andy

[The Natural Philosopher]

Beeb shows a