Paula Murray
A Pensioner is abandoning her Scottish dream home after more than a quarter
of a century because wind turbines are making her life a “living hell”.
Kay Siddell, 69, and her husband John, 64, moved to their rural retreat at
Old Dailly, near Girvan, Ayrshire, in 1988 to enjoy the peace and quiet of
the countryside.
They saved for years to renovate their home, but after a 53 turbine wind
farm, Hadyard Hill, was built, the pair put everything on hold.
For the past eight years they have tried to come to terms with the noise
and visual impact, but now, with Mrs Siddell’s health failing and further
turbines planned, they have finally decided to move away.
Remarkably, Mrs Siddell and her retired Army sergeant spouse plan to
abandon the steading and a sizeable parcel of land in a bid to prevent any
more wind farms being built.
The pensioner said: “The turbines are forcing us out. We don’t want to sell
our property – which comes with 10 acres of land – because we object to
wind farms and want to make sure the operators cannot buy this land for
more turbines.
“So rather than trying to sell our home we are just abandoning it in a bid
to make sure at least that small area remains turbine free.”
The mother – of – one said there was an application to extend Hadyard Hill
by another 55 turbines and planning permission to construct another 20
within the vicinity of their property.
She said: “That would bring the number to well over 100.
“We already have the TV and radio on at all times to try and block out the
noise. There’s the obvious noise you hear and the flicker which comes in,
especially in the winter because of the low sun, and that’s terribly
disturbing.
“Then there’s the noise you can’t hear which is infrasound.
“Within two weeks of the turbines being switched on in 2006 our cats
refused to go out and eat or drink – eventually we had to put them down. I
think it was because of the sensation or noise they got from the wind farm
which we couldn’t feel or hear.”
Mrs Siddell, who used to work for the Ministry of Defence, is adamant the
turbines are damaging her health – adding to the growing number of cases
since the issue was first exposed by the Scottish Sunday Express.
She is even willing to have a biopsy to prove her internal organs have been
damaged by low-frequency noise.
She said” “Air stewards and people working on ships develop a hardening in
their internal organs related to the vibration brought on by infrasound.
“I would like to have a biopsy to test if I have any signs of this
vibroacoustic disease. If the evidence is there the only reason it would be
there is the wind farm, as I’ve never worked on board planes and I am no
cruise goer.
What’s magical with this marker is that it could not be anything but
infrasound damage.
“It could explain my stress levels which are causing other physiological
problems.”
Using the money they saved for the planned renovation, the Siddells are now
packing up their belongings and moving to England to be near their son.
The first removal load was due to leave their home last week, and the rest
will follow soon.
Mrs Siddell said: “We were here long before any turbines went up. We always
knew that because of our remote location, the day would come we would have
to move out. However the day came much sooner than we expected because of
the wind farm.”
Wind farm operators and trade groups insist there are no proven links
between turbines and ill health.
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