Health and safety

On the 6th of January, The Western Morning News published a series of articles about the effects that wind turbines are having on people who live close to them, mainly in Cornwall. Please take time to read these articles - you can do so by clicking on the links below. For those of you who do not have time to read these articles in full, here are some of the key points:

  • The Government has plans for up to 1,000 turbines in the South West.
  • Because of this, up to 10,000 people could suffer side-effects.
  • Of the people questioned living near (between 300 metres and 1 mile) the Bears Down wind farm (Padstow):
    • 93% said their lives had been adversely affected
    • 93% experienced headaches
    • 70% had problems sleeping and suffered anxiety
  • National Wind Power, owner of the Bears Down wind farm failed to respond to questions put to them by the Western Morning News.
  • Dr. Amanda Harry, a GP from Plymouth is quoted as the source of the following:
    • The problem is with low frequency components, which are not necessarily picked up by the ear but are felt elsewhere in the body. The World Health Organisation has recognised this problem, but the U.K. is lagging behind the rest of Europe in taking these factors into consideration.
    • Another common complaint is the effect of the rotating blades in the sunlight - this causes a strobe effect (a recognised trigger for epilepsy).
    • Dr Harry proposes that the community as a whole should be involved in consultation and dialogue around planning issues - but first, full and independently acquired information should be made freely available to the general public.
  • Lastly, the Western Morning News reports about a couple who put their life savings into a caravan in Cornwall, mainly to escape the noise of life in Coventry. A year later a 16-turbine wind farm was opened, and now they go for (unnecessary) drives in their car, take overseas holidays or book into bed and breakfasts just to get away from the noise!

Please click on the following links to see the articles, as published by the Western Morning News:

 


All information, text and pictures, for this web site has been collated and prepared by committee members of the Save the Vale Association (SVA) in good faith and with advice from various experts. No liability is accepted for any errors and/or omissions in this web site. The web site is subject to continuous development and will regularly be updated as more information becomes available to SVA. Please report any errors or omissions to info@savethevale.org.uk