Advice on fighting wind farms

As we learn of any new proposal for a wind farm, or large individual turbine, information will be added to the Cumbria Wind Watch map. Icons on the map remain yellow throughout the planning process and, ultimately, they change either to red when a wind farm becomes approved, or to blue if planning permission is finally refused. If an application is withdrawn by an applicant, the coloured icon is removed from the map when we are confident they are not going to reapply.

To search for information on a particular site, either click on the relevant icon/shadow on the map, or click the name of the wind farm in the "index of wind farms" under the "Library" heading above, or enter the name of the wind farm or turbine in the Search box above.

Note: Zooming in to enlarge the scale of the map, using the zoom control near the left margin of the map, separates overlapping icons. Ensure the cursor changes to a hand with a single pointing finger before clicking.

The following 4 links are based on the work of the FELLS group (see below). How to oppose a wind farm

Facts about wind power

Wind farm 'myths'

Sample letter for local residents

The following links (added June 2012) lead to many documents with detailed information which may well be of use... unfortunately we have not had time to index them! Please use them in your research and link to them from your own sites if you find them helpful - thank you.

Assistance for Opposition Groups; Planning Documents; CO2 and peat issues;  Climate Change;  Cost of renewables and jobs;  Imaging and photomontages;  Inquiry Appeals rejected; Noise, Flicker &amp; Separation Distances;  Technical Issues.

Presentation by Dr Mike Hall, an unemotional, non sensationalist review of the subject (originally a talk given in Cartmel when they were facing a wind farm but relevant to all Cumbria)

Helpful websites
Location-specific websites:-

Friends of Eden, Lakeland &amp; Lunesdale scenery (FELLS)

Friends of Rural Cumbria's Environment (FORCE), Bolton Low Houses

Newlands Wind Farm, Cumwhinton, action group

The Windbyte website - NE England and SE Scotland

Dorset Against Rural Turbines (DART) and Lessons arising from the DART/CPRE Experience - A report on fighting wind farms in Dorset.

National and international websites:-

NOW – National Opposition to Wind farms - This is a national body whose aim is to oppose wind farms by tackling policy.

The NOW Charter, downloadable from their website, is a very useful document when fighting wind farms / wind turbines.

National Wind Watch - This is an international website with a strong and up-to-date British content.

Country Guardian - This website covers the whole of the UK and contains much useful information.

Renewable Energy Foundation - This charity promotes the use of renewable energy, has commissioned studies and produced valuable reports.

European Platform Against Windfarms – EPAW has 543 member-organisations, from 23 countries, and its aims are set out on the ‘About Us’ page on their website. On 26 August 2012 EPAW and WCFN (the World Council for Nature) issued a press release “UN ruling: EU must reassess renewables’ policy” drawing attention to the important decision by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe that the renewable energy policies/targets of the EU and each of the 27 member states were in breach of the ratified Aarhus Convention because the citizens were not consulted in a transparent manner before the policies were imposed on them.

"Global Wind Energy - the Human Impact" - an international news wbsite with reports of impacts on health.

Scientific papers, reports and books
Statement by Dr Sarah Laurie 14-01-2013 – a comprehensive report on the adverse health effects of low frequency noise from wind turbines in Australia, Canada, the US and the UK.

“Wind Turbine Noise Impact Assessment Where ETSU is Silent” By: Richard Cox, David Unwin and Trevor Sherman, July 2012.

“Wind turbines and low frequency noise – implications for human health” Papadopolous G. Sept. 2012.

“Three wind farm studies and an assessment of infrasound” Tharpaland International Retreat Centre

“Wind Turbine Noise, Sleep and Health” Dr Christopher Hanning, July 2012. A very good report, as is the Frey and Hadden report below.

“A Global Guideline for the Minimum Siting Distance of Industrial Wind Turbines” The Society for Wind Vigilance, April 2012.

[http://www.windvigilance.com/about-adverse-health-effects/resource-centre “Wind Turbines and Proximity to Homes: The Impact of Wind Turbine Noise on Health – a review of the literature and discussion of the issues” Frey and Hadden, Society for Wind Vigilance, January 2012. ] See other reports from the Society for Wind Vigilance which is an international federation of physicians, engineers and other professionals promoting the development of authoritative international wind turbine guidelines to protect the health and safety of communities.

“Sustainable Energy – without the hot air” David MacKay, UIT Cambridge, 2009. In Professor MacKay’s own words: “This is a straight-talking book about the numbers. The aim is to guide the reader around the claptrap to actions that really make a difference and to policies that add up.”

Bats and Onshore Wind Turbines Interim guidance from Natural England 2014

Bird and Bat Mortality at Portuguese windfarms

[http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=4016&from=rss_home#.VDgJd77th0U Wind Turbine or Tree? Certain Bats may not know.]Sept 2014

Wind Turbines and Health 2014 by Alun Evans Emeritus Professor Belfast University

A longtitudinal study of the impact of wind turbine proximity on health related quality of life.2013 A paper from New Zealand