Residents urge others to fight wind farms ‘to the bitter end’ (From The Northern Echo)
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Advice from angry residents after years of noise and light disturbance
9:25am Thursday 7th January 2010 in Tyne and Wear News
OPPOSING TURBINES: Billy Armstrong in his garden
In the latest of a series about wind farms, Joe Willis talks to people about their experiences of living in the shadow of the giant turbines.
FIGHT wind farm developments to the bitter end – that is the advice from angry residents who say they have suffered years of noise and light disturbance from two turbines.
People living near High Sharpley wind farm, near Seaham, County Durham, said their experiences should act as a warning to other communities in the region facing wind farm proposals.
The advice to contest wind farm schemes comes as planning authorities across the North consider proposals for more wind energy developments.
Residents told The Northern Echo how they were woken in the middle of the night by noise from the turbines.
They also spoke of a strobe effect when sun shines through the spinning blades.
Billy Armstrong, 54, lives 800 metres from the nearest turbine.
He said: “It is when it is a light to moderate wind that you get a problem.
“It is like a tumble dryer – a heavy, dense noise.
“They will wake you up and you won’t be able to get back to sleep.”
Farmer David Ford said light flicker from the blades was his main problem, and said: “It has caused us to get out of the room before – it gives you a headache.”
Resident Chris Burgon said: “My advice to anyone is to fight to the bitter end to stop wind farms being erected near them.”
The two 60ft turbines were switched on in January 2007.
Plans for four more turbines to be erected nearby have been approved.
A proposal for three more turbines at nearby South Sharpley Farm was dismissed last month.
A spokeswoman for Durham County Council confirmed the authority had received formal complaints about noise disturbance and sunlight flickering between turbine blades.
She said: “Our investigations found that no noise or light effect from the turbines constituted a statutory nuisance and, therefore, we are unable to take any further action.”
Bob Morgan, the development manager at Cornwall Light and Power, which runs the site, said the wind farm had provided the equivalent energy needs of more than 2,000 homes since its creation.
He said the turbines operated in compliance with strict guidelines, and said: “Cornwall Light and Power has not to date received a formal noise complaint in relation to the site. We would ask that any resident who has concerns contacts us directly on 01872- 226930 and we will be more than happy to investigate.”
Comments(2)
Whaup
says...
6:04pm Thu 7 Jan 10
Rick57 is just as accurate in his offensive and condescending comments.
It does not matter how many people are being subjected to noise nuisance, if their lives are being made a misery they are entitled to redress.
It should also be pointed out that the civil servants have been exposed as 'fixing' the 2006 Hayes McKenzie Partnership (HMP) report on turbine noise in order to allow the industry to go on emitting noise that will prevent people at neighbouring properties from sleeping.
Turbines routinely emit noise that would attract an ASBO under the Noise Act if it was produced by partying neighbours in an urban area. They also routinely break WHO guidelines on night noise .
The spokesperson for DCC is being disingenuous in talking of 'a statutory nuisance' when wind turbines are specifically exempted from normal controls and from the Noise Act and when the dB(C) noise from turbines is not measured.
Rick57 says...
11:02am Thu 7 Jan 10
The journalist is scraping the barrel by interviewing the tiny minority of people who appear to have problems with wind farms. I suggest the journalist does a follow up interviewing people whose lives are being wrecked by the sound of cars on main roads.