Turbines 'will disrupt sleep'
A doctor has called for a wind farm plan to be rejected because he believes it will give people living nearby sleepless nights.
Dr Chris Hanning was speaking at a public inquiry which will decide whether 11 410ft-high turbines can be put up on farmland near Swinford.
The consultant in sleep medicine at Leicester General Hospital said noise created by electricity-generating turbines had been proven to adversely affect the heath of people who lived near them.
He gave evidence at the three-week hearing in Market Harborough yesterday for Swinford Wind Farm Action Group, which is opposing plans Nuon Renewables.
Dr Hanning said: "Studies to date confirm that turbine noise does disturb sleep and can cause ill-health.
"The repetitive thumping noise generated does seem to be particularly annoying.
"At the levels of noise permitted for wind turbines, there is a significant risk of sleep disturbance among residents up to 1.5km away. Most of Swinford falls into that category."
The inquiry is the first to be held into a major wind farm development in Leicestershire.
It is being held after Harborough District Council failed to make a decision within the legal time limit.
Protesters have previously told the inquiry the turbines would be a blight on the skyline and damage the character of the nearby 18th century Stanford Hall and its grounds.
Some residents, ProWind Alliance and Friends of the Earth groups in Market Harborough, Rugby and Nuneaton are in favour of the plan.
Speaking yesterday, Keith Warren, 75, of Market Harborough said: "There are protests at present but living with wind farms for a few years may change people's attitudes.
"We should not be thinking too locally when faced with a potential large-scale climate disaster."
The developers have said the turbines are key to battling climate change and meeting Government targets to produce more power from green energy.
The scheme would provide power for up to 14,000 homes.
Andrew Newcombe, Nuon's lawyer, has told the hearing: "This is a carefully and sensitively designed scheme which will make a material contribution to the Government's renewable energy targets, while respecting its surroundings."
The three-week inquiry comes to an end tomorrow, when barristers will sum up.
A decision will be made by Communities Secretary John Denham later this year.
Comments
by Herbert Eppel, Pro Wind Alliance
Monday, August 03 2009, 10:29AM
“Those attending the Swinford inquiry last Wednesday will have noted that Dr. Hanning's so-called evidence appeared to be revealed as rather weak and based by no means on his own clinical work, but merely on a literature review, which any reasonably academically minded person could have undertaken. It was also revealed that he seems to question - on the same basis - widely recognised noise standards, including WHO guidelines. It will be interesting to see how much weight the Secretary of State will give to this 'evidence' when he makes the hopefully positive decision in due course.
Meanwhile, in addition to Keith Warren, three further supporters spoke out in favour of Swinford Wind Farm as a collective public voice of the hundreds of supporters who had written to Harborough District Council and the Planning Inspectorate.
Moreover, it is worth pointing out that there is, without a shadow of a doubt, a silent majority who is not opposed to a significant expansion of wind power, and there is plenty of active support up and down the country. The Pro Wind Alliance website at ProWA dot org dot uk contains comprehensive background information on current wind energy proposals in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire and wind power in general, with a view of enabling objective discussions on this fascinating subject.”