Wind turbines are too close to homes 

We live approximately 680 metres from the nearest proposed turbine at Bagots Park Estate.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a buffer zone of 2,000 metres from the nearest family homes, so we quite understandably have concerns on the proximity of these turbines.

Bagots Park has planned a buffer zone of 500 metres from the nearest family home.

Such is the concern on the effect on human health that WHO, DEFRA, UKNA and the European British Wind Energy Association have commissioned reports, research and annual surveys by engineers, health practitioners and professional scientists to investigate the effects of existing wind farms.

The main concern is the physiological and biological effects on people living within the area of the wind farm.

Symptoms akin to vibroacoustic disease have been reported by people living close to wind farms in Portugal.

Low density sound (LDS) from the wind turbines causes electromagnetic disturbance, producing ground-born vibrations which travel further than audible noise.

This has been found to create nausea, dizziness, anxiety, headaches, inability to concentrate and sleeplessness.

Interestingly, LDS was used during the Second World War as a form of torture.

WHO says: “The evidence of low frequency noise is sufficiently strong to warrant immediate concern.”

Optimum noise levels are set at 30dB. Twelve properties near the proposed Bagots Park site have been identified in their environmental statement as potentially receiving levels of turbine noise in excess of 35dB(A).

With the Bagots Park wind farm, 15 properties would lie closer than 1,000 metres from their nearest turbine, approximately a further 17 properties would lie between 1,000 metres to 1,500 metres and another 67 properties including the school, Smallwood Manor, would lie between 1,500 metres and 2,000 metres.

Altogether, about 100 properties would lie within 2,000 metres from the nearest turbine.

Low frequency noise (LFN) has been well documented as an effect of wind turbines. The Casella report has sited LFN as having several pertinent features different to other frequencies community noise:

LFN is not attenuated with distance from source, making LFN more prominent at greater distances.

LFN is not attenuated by typical building design making LFN more prominent inside a building.

Inside buildings resonance can be set up inside a room with quiet points and loud points, which can elevate low frequency noise inside a room.

Older people’s hearing is proportionally more acute at low frequencies than other mid or high frequencies and low frequency noise can cause lightweight elements of a building to vibrate.

Another factor causing concern is the impact of noise on the wildlife in the areas. Of particular concern is the heronry at Goat Lodge, approximately 700 metres from the nearest proposed turbine.

Other protected species in the area include barn owls, buzzards and swans.

What will become of these if the plans go ahead?

Pat Evans

Parkside Farm

Abbots Bromley