August 28, 2012
Wales

Wind farm ‘could threaten special needs day centre in Blaenau’

South Wales Evening Post | www.thisissouthwales.co.uk 28 August 2012

The chairman of an action group against plans for a wind turbine says special needs children using a nearby day care centre will be “overloaded” by its noise.

Bob Gunstone, chairman of Saron, Llandybie and Penygroes (Slap) action group claims children with special needs are unable to “filter noise” out from turbines.

He raised his concerns ahead of a meeting of Llandybie Community Council, who will discuss an application for a turbine at Blaenau, before it goes to the Carmarthenshire council’s planning committee next month.

Mr Gunstone said: “There is a council-run day care centre located in Blaenau which has a very important role to play in the community.

“This centre offers respite care for parents of children with special needs and the proposed wind turbine at Blaenau will be a threat to this very important service.”

Mr Gunstone, who is also a community councillor in Llannon, said “many studies” had been done into the effects of wind turbines on children.

“It has been found that children, especially with special needs, are more sensitive to the effects of wind turbines.

“For example a child with autism, Asperger’s or ADHD does not have the ability to filter noise thus they hear noises at the same level” he said.

“The noise created from a wind turbine can cause continuous auditory sensory overload, which affects their concentration and focus.

“This means that the children who currently use this facility will be affected in a very negative way continually disturbed by the impact of the wind turbine.”

Slap was formed after an application for a wind turbine was submitted by Blaenau businessman Alan Davies, to Carmarthenshire Council. In May, campaigners handed a 200-name petition to the county council and Welsh Government, opposing the 77-metre mast – saying it would blight their lives. But at a meeting in June, Mr Davies shocked campaigners by announcing – during a meeting of Llandybie Community Council – that he had submitted alternative plans, making the mast smaller.

Members of Slap were holding a silent protest at the time, but the community council decided to put back any discussion until September, to look at the new plans in more detail.

Slap action group is now planning to meet on Monday, September 3, at Caerbryn Hall, Blaenau, and will hold a second silent protest at a meeting of Llandybie Community Council on Wednesday, September 5.

Two years ago, a North Lincolnshire wind farm plan was rejected because of the “serious effect” it would have on eight-year-old autistic twin boys living nearby, who were fixated with the spinning blades.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/08/28/wind-farm-could-threaten-special-needs-day-centre-in-blaenau/