People living close to windfarms in Powys could face a health risk as campaigners claim turbines are being built too close to people’s homes.
It comes as Powys County Council is expected to receive planning applications for more than 500 wind turbines. Campaign group Cadwriaeth Ucheldir Powys say studies have revealed many householders living near turbines suffer headaches, sleep deprivation and dizziness.
They have now called on Government officials to take action.
A spokesman for the group said: “Research carried out by health officials in the USA has shown that many people who live too close to windfarms go onto suffer sleep disturbance and, in some cases, ill health.
“We believe that there should be a review into safe set backs of at least two kilometres in line with other European countries. This Government treats us with extraordinary cynicism by allowing wind energy companies to build as close as 400 metres from our homes.
“We believe it is vital that a proper independent study, which is non-industry backed or influenced, of existing wind farms throughout the UK including Powys, should be undertaken now and not when the greater number of windfarms are built.”
He added that if studies did go on to prove that windfarms did cause long-term health effects, people should be entitled to compensation.
He said: “It is not hard to imagine that once the gold rush into wind energy is over and the county and indeed the UK as a whole has thousands more wind turbines constructed that greater numbers of ill effects may become prevalent.
“This would be costly in human terms and perhaps see huge compensation claims against the Government.”
John Evans, Powys County Council spokesman, said: “There are three strategic windfarm search areas affecting Powys. Two, Carno North and Newtown South, are in the county.
“The council has so far received or is about to receive 23 applications, consisting of 548 turbines, with many set to get the go-ahead under Government guidance.”
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7 Comments
People and biodiversity before huge inducements for wind energy schemes. If noise is not a problem, the 3rd International Conference on Wind Turbine Noise would not have been held in Denmark, June 2009. 2km minimum distance from houses is reasonable.
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I WORK IN THE WIND ENERGY BUSINESS AND HEAR MANY DIFFERENT COMPLANTS FROM PEOPLE WHO REALLY JUST DO NOT HAVE A CLUE WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT.
WHICH ENERGY SOURCE WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE?
NUCLEAR?
GAS TURBINE?
COAL?
SOLAR?
SEAMS TO ME EVERYONE HAS TIME TO MOAN ABOUT SOMETHING…….
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C.Williams: All the options you mentioned, and including wind would be part of a mix.
This article is specifically talking about placing the turbines a reasonable distance from peoples homes – based on this article it seems that 2km is the accepted standard throughout the world – except here where it is only 400m (literally in the shadow!)
So what point were you trying to make or were you just having a good old moan?
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Recently stood by some wind turbines in Cumbria and was surprised how noisey they are. Also visited Sellafield Nucleur Waste storeage which was very educational.
Apparently, if all my energy needs was from nucleur, then in my life time, the waste would be the size of my fist.
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as a vhild i had a plastic windmill on a stick, it never did me any harm
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sleep deprivation and dizziness, i get that but its got more to do with a good night down the pub than the local wind farm,
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Spencer, if you’re suffering from sleep deprivation after a night on the wallop, then you aint trying hard enough sunshine.
I suggest 2 – 3 large single malts just before last orders ;-)
hic
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