A PANEL of scientists has found that the irritation caused by the noise around wind farms can affect certain individuals.
At a conference in Cardiff a panel of experts conceded that the swishing sound caused by wind turbines can “annoy” some people, keeping them awake at night and even cause psychological problems because of the stress.
However, they have dismissed the idea of a “Wind Turbine Syndrome” whereby the vibrations in the air or the particular sound waves from wind turbines cause headaches, nausea and panic attacks.
The Government is planning on building thousands of wind farms onshore, including sites in Powys such as: Mynydd Waun Fawr (near Llanerfyl), Llanbadarn Fynydd (near Llanbadarn Fynydd), Cemmaes 3 (near Cwm Llinau), Llaithddu (near Llaithddu), Garreg Llwyd (between Llanbadarn Fynydd and Felindre), Llandinam, Carnedd Wen (Llanbrynmair Forest), Rhyd Du (south east of Llanerfyl) and Dyfnant Forest (south of Lake Vyrnwy).
The Government has insisted that wind farms do not have a direct impact on health, while the wind industry has hit back at claims by saying: “If wind turbines were harmful, it would be impossible to live in a city given the sound levels in urban environments.”
Dr Geoff Leventhall, an honorary fellow of the UK’s Institute of Acoustics and one of the authors of the study, said: “The conclusions of our report were that the main effects of wind turbine noise is similar to the effect of any other noise and will disturb people if they are listening to a noise they do not want to hear. One of the main effects is sleep disturbance which can lead to other stress related effects.”
Presenting the evidence at a wind turbine noise meeting organised by the IOA in Cardiff, he emphasised that only a small number of people find the noise distressing, which can lead to sleep deprivation and psychological problems.
“The number of people who suffer these extreme effects are small and, if the turbines are designed properly, the effects are minimised even further,” he added.
In Lincolnshire, 54-year-old Jane Davis is hoping to take the country’s first private nuisance case against a wind farm to the High Court. The qualified nurse believes that one in five wind farms cause noise problems for the local people.
“All I know is the amount of health problems people have suffered since the turbines were put up seem to be excessive in relation to what was happening,” she said.
“Those symptoms include sleep deprivation, tinnitus, vertigo, depression, raised blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, needing to go the lavatory at night more often than you would normally, pneumonia, ear infections, stomach disorders and psychological stress.”
Mrs Davis said 190 campaigners around the country have complained of noise and are expected to consider legal proceedings if the test case is successful.
“This is not Nimbyism. These things have devastated my life and continue to do so,” she said.
However the British Wind Energy Association pointed out that the new report said there were no direct health effects from wind farms.
“The findings of the study tally with UK research on the subject. In 2007 a Government-backed study carried out by the University of Salford found that only one wind farm in the UK was ever found to present a noise nuisance to residents and the issue has since been resolved,” a spokesman said.