Noise threat to wind turbines as Government calls for planning review
Westcountry households could see noisy wind farm developments blocked after the Government unveiled details of a review into controversial planning decisions.
Developers at sites across the Devon and Cornwall countryside have been locked in bitter disputes over the noise pollution caused by giant wind turbines that campaigners claim damage people's health.
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Plans to erect nine turbines at Den Brook, near Crediton, Mid-Devon, await a decision from the High Court following a two-day hearing this week. Now it has emerged the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has commissioned a review to examine how planning authorities have applied guidance on noise pollution.
Energy ministers want to establish "best practice" on noise pollution and ensure communities get the "intended level of protection" after a series of onshore wind farm developments have suffered long delays in the courts.
But a prominent Westcountry objector last night questioned how much protection homes close to developments would be offered as the Government insisted it had "no plans" to change the guidance.
Mike Hulme, who has fought the Den Brook development for five years, said: "It is a positive step that something is happening. This is the result of many questions being asked by MPs. I think it is a result of being put under pressure rather it being a desirable thing to do.
"But I wonder what is underlying this report. Is it as smoke screen or is it a genuine attempt to rectify the problem?"
Mr Hulme, who argues "noise nuisance" has driven people from their homes, says guidelines to assess the noise impact of any wind farm – known as ETSU-R-97 – are now 12 years old and "dreadfully outdated".
While the Government has indicated it is anxious to push the development of offshore wind farms, thousands of turbines have been earmarked on dry land.
While nausea, headaches and anxiety have been linked to people's close proximity to wind farm developments, many have called for more independent research into the effects on health.
A study by a panel of independent experts this year found that the irritation caused by the swishing noise around wind farms can effect certain individuals.
Wind farms have traditionally been seen by protesters as a blot on the British countryside, but noise is emerging as a significant block to development.
Mr Hulme says it is the intermittent "thumping" sound caused by the fast-turning turbine blades that is the cause of most concern.
But he thinks it is unlikely the noise threshold will be lowered any time soon as it would "possibly eliminate too many sites" – putting the Government's renewable energy drive at risk – despite noise being the "major issue" for most wind farm objections.
In two separate written questions by MPs, the Energy Secretary Chris Huhne was asked "whether he plans to revise the noise assessment guidance for wind turbines".
In response Climate Change Minister Greg Barker, wrote: "Noise is a key issue to be taken into account in considering proposals for wind farm development.
"There is no reason to believe that the protection from noise provided for by the ETSU-R-97 guidance does not remain acceptable, and we have no plans to change this."
He went on: "However, I have commissioned an analysis of how noise impacts are considered in the determination of wind farm planning applications in England.
"The project will seek to establish best practice in assessing and rating wind turbine noise by investigating previous decisions.
"Our aim is to ensure that ETSU-R-97 is applied in a consistent and effective manner and that it is implemented in a way that provides the intended level of protection."
Consultants Hayes McKenzie is to start the work in September and it is hoped the it will be completed by the end of the year.
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by Brian, Falmouth
Monday, August 02 2010, 4:46PM
“A windmill in every spare space nationwide would not,and could not meet our requirments for power,the sooner we start building nuclear power stations the better,or pehaps we should rely on Russia for our supplies.”
by William, Turbine Alley
Monday, August 02 2010, 2:27PM
“J Brown.
Unfortunately your 'facts' are contradicted by information that the wind industry itself provides and by research sponsored by the government.
There are planning applications all over the country for turbines that are much closer than 600m to houses.
To pick one random example: E.ON's 'West Ancroft' scheme, at 556m.
At an adjacent site, the Secretary of State agreed with a Planning Inspector in turning down an appeal because the turbines, on the appellant's own figures, would have broken noise thresholds:
"The Secretary of State takes the view that the significant potential for noise limits to be breached at Moorsyde weighs against the appeal irrespective of any concerns about monitoring and enforcement of this condition."
The nearest housing was over 700m from the proposed turbines.
Jane and Julian Davis, who have been forced to move from their house by windfarm noise, have now had their loss of amenity and loss in value of their home acknowledged by a Valuation Tribunal which lowered their Council Tax banding in recognition of: "Significant detrimental effect"; "Nuisance real, not imagined"; "Potential sale price affected".
The insurers of their currently unsaleable property are funding their case at the High Court to get this noise nuisance stopped.
Their house is 930m from the nearest turbine.
The night time noise limit of 43dB(A) for turbines contravenes the recent WHO Night Noise Guiderlines for Europe (September, 2009) and their guidelines Community Noise (1999).
The Noise Act (1996) states:
"The permitted level of noise which may be emitted during night hours from an offending dwelling or from offending premises shall be¿
(a) where the underlying level of noise does not exceed 24 dB, 34 dB".
So, if an Environmental Health Officer measures the noise from your neighbours at 35dB(A) in a quiet rural area at night action will be taken against the offender.
Unless you are a turbine operator of course - they are exempt!
Environmental Protection UK said of the last government's proposal to
¿restrict¿ noise levels from turbines to 45 decibels that: "it flies in the face of the advice of experienced specialist practitioners in environmental health and acoustics, and recent World Health Organisation Guidelines published on night time noise and health... Nuisance research shows that at the noise levels proposed they are 98% likely to cause complaints."
Finally, Hayes Mackenzie Partnership also found that the current limits are too high. Their 2006 report recommended lowering the limits to 38dB(A) and 33dB(A) where there were likely to be problems with amplitude modulation. These findings were 'edited out' of the final report by civil servants.
Your costs on nuclear are complete garbage.
The most authoritative comparative costings by by Parsons Brinckerhoff, a company involved in wind engineering, estimates nuclear generation costs to be 6-8 pence per kilowatt hour (p/KWh), including decommissioning and waste disposal, compared to 15-21 p/KWh for offshore wind.
According to PB, onshore wind costs of 8-11 p/KWh are competitive with gas at 6-11 p/KWh.
They do not add in the huge grid strengthening costs necessitated by wind power stations. ('Powering the Nation', 2010 update).
Denmark is in a huge tizz at the moment because Sweden has OK'd 10 new nuclear power stations.
The headline in Jyllands -Posten was ¿Wind turbines threatened by atomic power¿ with the header "New atomic power stations in Finland and Sweden are poison for the Danish wind industry, but good for electricity prices."
Lars Aagaard, Director of Danish Energy, was quoted as saying: "10 new atomic power stations will produce a surplus of electricity equivalent in size to Denmark¿s entire yearly consumption. That will cause the electricity price to fall - and smash the market for sustainable energy. The result may be that we either have to cut back on our ambitions for susta”
by Boffin, London
Monday, August 02 2010, 12:01PM
“Some facts: A car travelling at 40mph at a distance of 100m is 10 times as noisy as a wind farm at 350 metres. Wind farms are now sited at least 600 metres from any residence. The noise issue is blown out of all proportion (excuse the deliberate pun) by the anti-green lobby. Poll after poll has shown that more than 80% of people like the look of wind turbines. Please, don't buy into all the myths and hype spread by the anti-wind lobby. Vist a wind farm and you will discover that you cannot hear anything when you are 600 metres away, but you will hear the birds and you will hear the nearby roads.
According to the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) it will cost at least £30 billion over the next decade to clean up the nuclear power station sites of Dounreay, Sizewell A, Hinkley Point A and Dungeness A. When you factor this into the equation then wind power suddenly becomes a lot cheaper than nuclear.
Wind is a free and clean renewable energy resource that can be harnessed indefinitely. Let's take all the facts into account and have a balanced discussion.”
by J Brown, London
Monday, August 02 2010, 11:59AM
“Some facts: A car travelling at 40mph at a distance of 100m is 10 times as noisy as a wind farm at 350 metres. Wind farms are now sited at least 600 metres from any residence. The noise issue is blown out of all proportion (excuse the deliberate pun) by the anti-green lobby. Poll after poll has shown that more than 80% of people like the look of wind turbines. Please, don't buy into all the myths and hype spread by the anti-wind lobby. Vist a wind farm and you will discover that you cannot hear anything when you are 600 metres away, but you will hear the birds and you will hear the nearby roads.
According to the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) it will cost at least £30 billion over the next decade to clean up the nuclear power station sites of Dounreay, Sizewell A, Hinkley Point A and Dungeness A. When you factor this into the equation then wind power suddenly becomes a lot cheaper than nuclear.
Wind is a free and clean renewable energy resource that can be harnessed indefinitely. Let's take all the facts into account and have a balanced discussion.”
by William, Turbine Alley
Saturday, July 31 2010, 9:32PM
“Apologies, I meant Phillip not 'Bob'.”