The UK Government-commissioned review of Noise Guidance for onshore wind turbines (Etsu-R-97) has recently been published and confirms what campaigners have been saying for decades – it is outdated and in dire need of review, having been published in 1996 when turbines were tiny in comparison to the giant 260m turbines proposed today.
It admits that the current guidance does not adequately address the adverse impact of amplitude modulation (AM), which increases noise annoyance. AM is explained as ” a regular fluctuation of the sound level associated with the passage of the blades.” It is often described subjectively as a ‘swish’ or ‘whoomph’ sound and it is the main reason for wind turbine noise complaints.
The Report also recommends, among many other things, a systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence on the effects of wind turbine sound exposure on noise annoyance and sleep quality.
Thousands of people have already been subjected to the horrors of living next to noisy wind turbines, disturbing their sleep and causing extreme stress. Current Scottish Government policy to more than double onshore wind capacity will inevitably cause a huge increase in the number of people affected. Nobody should be subjected to this. Common sense dictates that no more wind turbine applications should be entertained until the final Guidance is published, however long that may take.
Aileen Jackson
Knockglass
Uplawmoor
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