December 6, 2007
England
England
Campaigners fighting a proposal to build five huge wind turbines in their village have met to discuss an action plan.
Residents from East Langdon and surrounding villages are fighting plans by Ecotricity to build a wind farm of 120m high turbines less than 500m from homes.
Angry villagers say the turbines will cause misery with constant noise from the rotating blades, repetitive flickering and the visual impact which will turn the area into an eyesore.
Talking to a packed village hall last week Langdon Action Group (Lag) chairman Anthony Hyde said: “The Lag mandate is to object to this planning application and this community’s objections will be heard. We have to focus on a number of issues. We have a heritage coastline which is the most protected thing you can have.
“Another issue is the proximity to the village. Most of Europe and Scotland say they should not be closer than 2,000m. Every person in Langdon to Whitfield will live within 1,500m of these turbines.”
Guest speaker Mike Barnard, who has fought against three developments, told the meeting noise will have the biggest impact. He said: “Industrial noise is not allowed above five decibels over background noise but the Government has introduced its own noise methodology for wind farms. Night time noise over background can go to 43 decibels and 35 to 40 in the day. The noise goes on all the time if the wind is blowing.”
But, in an Environmental Statement for the North Dover Wind Park, Ecotricity says quieter Enercon turbines will be used.It says: “Unlike other wind turbines they are direct drive, which means they have no gear box, thereby producing no mechanical noise.
“The only noise they make is from the air over the blades, which increases and decreases with wind speed.”
Lag is calling on residents in villages within a radius which reaches as far as Whitfield to write letters of objection to Dover District Council at the Planning Department , quoting reference DOV/07/01148, by December 14.
Planning committee councillors are expected to look at the application on December 18.
By Kathy Bailes
6 December 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/12/06/wind-turbines-battle-to-begin/