Wind Power News: France
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Belgium complains to France over Dunkirk offshore wind turbine plan
Belgium has made a formal complaint against France in protest against a 46-turbine wind farm project 10km off the coast of Dunkirk. Belgian Minister for Justice and the North Sea, Vincent Van Quickenborne, complained to the European Commission over the French project. Residents on the Belgian side fear it will cause visual disturbances and obstruct shipping lanes to the UK. The complaint calls for the project to be moved so that it is 17km away from the coastline, rather than . . . Complete story »
Normandy row erupts over wind turbines a stone’s throw from British D-Day war graves
A feud has erupted between two Normandy villages over the erection of wind farms a stone’s throw from British war graves, with detractors calling it a slur on the memory of soldiers. The row started after the village of Le Manoir gave the green light to build five 150m-high turbines just 800m from Ryes war cemetery, Bazenville, just eight kilometres from Bayeux. The cemetery is not far inland from the D-Day beaches at Arromanches, where the 50th Division landed on . . . Complete story »
Normandy wind farm would ‘blight British D-Day memorial’
Villagers in Normandy are fighting plans for a wind farm sited 800m from the Commonwealth war cemetery by the British D-Day landing beaches. Councillors in Bazenville, near Bayeux, voted this week to contest the scheme, which it is said would disturb the sanctity of the Ryes War Cemetery, where 652 Commonwealth servicemen and 335 Germans are buried. Opponents say the eight 150m turbines could be seen three miles away at the British Normandy Memorial, which was opened last June at . . . Complete story »
Brittany: Locals win appeal to cancel already built XXL wind turbines
Three extra-large wind turbines which have already been built near a small Brittany village have had their authorisation removed by a court following a campaign led by local residents. The administrative Court of Appeal in Nantes made the decision to reverse approval previously granted by the prefecture for the small wind farm outside Noyal-Muzillac (Morbihan) yesterday (February 15). The three wind turbines, which are situated in the Landes de Combocaire, are XXL structures, meaning that they are 117m high, with . . . Complete story »
France: the battle over wind power stirs up the election
As France’s election season gathers steam, the fishermen from Saint-Brieuc on the north Brittany coast have had a stream of illustrious visitors, including the EU’s former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. But instead of discussing Brexit and fishing, Barnier and other conservative politicians have focused on a different bugbear: a €2.4bn offshore wind farm project that has sparked such ire among locals that a flotilla took to the sea to protest when underwater construction work started earlier this year. Dubbing it . . . Complete story »
Couple in France awarded ‘turbine syndrome’ damages from nearby wind farm
In what may be the first decision of its kind, a court has ruled that a Belgian couple living in France is entitled to some $127,000 in damages for health problems they say were caused by a nearby energy-producing wind farm. The couple said they had experienced a range of complaints from the six wind turbines located less than a half-mile from their home in the Tarn region in southern France. The symptoms, according to a report by the French . . . Complete story »
Couple suffering from ‘wind farm syndrome’ win £100,000 in damages
A French couple have been awarded more than £100,000 in damages after a court ruled that six wind turbines placed close to their home had caused them physical and mental suffering. Their lawyers said the ruling was “unprecedented in France”. After a six-year legal battle, an appeals court in Toulouse ruled that the wind farms had caused “abnormal neighbourly disturbances” to Christel and Luc Fockaerts. The couple had complained that the six turbines – some placed less than a mile . . . Complete story »
With eye on far right, French conservatives take aim at wind power
Two front-runners in the race for the centre-right ticket in France’s 2022 presidential vote took aim at wind farms on Monday, as the conservatives seek to win back the support of rural voters drawn towards the far-right. Xavier Bertrand, a one-time insurance salesman from the provinces, said profit-hungry wind farm developers were destroying the French countryside and that France’s energy security lay with nuclear power. Michel Barnier, the European Union’s former chief Brexit negotiator, said local backing would be needed . . . Complete story »
French couple who said windfarm affected health win legal fight
A French court has recognised “turbine syndrome” after a couple complained their health was damaged by living near a windfarm. In what is believed to be the first judgment of its kind in France, Belgians Christel and Luc Fockaert were awarded more than €100,000 in compensation by the judge in Toulouse. The couple claimed they experienced a range of health problems including headaches, insomnia, heart irregularities, depression, dizziness, tinnitus and nausea for more than two years, insisting these were caused . . . Complete story »
Eoliennes. La cour d’appel de Toulouse reconnaît les nuisances et l’impact sur la santé
[Toulouse appeals court recognizes wind turbine noise and flashing and their impact on health, orders companies to pay couple 110,000 euros.] En condamnant deux sociétés gestionnaires d’un parc éolien, la cour d’appel de Toulouse reconnaît l’existence de nuisances anormales pour le voisinage et leur impact sur la santé. La décision est inédite. Le 8 juillet dernier, la cour d’appel de Toulouse cassait un jugement du tribunal judiciaire de Castres et condamnait deux sociétés gestionnaires d’un parc éolien a indemniser un . . . Complete story »
