October 28, 2011
Scotland

Residents claim wind farm will cause road crashes

STV, stv.tv 26 October 2011

A community group are protesting against proposed wind farms claiming they will cause serious road safety problems.

Developers want to build ten turbines on Clatto Hill near Glenrothes, generating enough power for 10,000 homes.

But local residents say the 100 metre high structures will suddenly come into view and distract drivers on an already dangerous road. They say the sharp bends and blind summits mean drivers would not see the turbines until they were very close.

Greg Brown from the group said: “This road has farm traffic, rat run traffic, as well as local traffic so at certain times of the day it’s very busy. People that drive this road all the time know about these obstacles but it’s adding this extra surprise factor to the situation that we are concerned about.”

Fife Council’s planning guidance states wind farms should be continuously visible from a distance to avoid distracting drivers.

A spokesperson for the local authority said planning officers had investigated the group’s claims.

They said: “This most recent issue raised by Clatto Landscape Protection Group is a very important one. Transportation officers are fully aware of these concerns and following further detailed assessments are in the process of responding in full on this matter.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/10/28/residents-claim-wind-farm-will-cause-road-crashes/