For those of you who have been trawling through the new Guidance on the Assessment and Rating of Wind Turbine Noise, can I suggest you read it alongside the Draft which was published in July 2025 and note the differences. For example:
DRAFT
1.2 The technical guidance has been prepared by specialists on wind turbine noise (the ‘Project Team’) from Noise Consultants Limited (part of Logika Group), Hoare Lea LLP and Hayes McKenzie Partnership Limited. The Project Team has also drawn on the experience of external peer reviewers.
FINAL
1.2 The technical guidance has been informed by advice from specialists on wind turbine noise (the ‘technical advisory team’) from Noise Consultants Limited (part of Logika Group), Hoare Lea LLP and Hayes McKenzie Partnership Limited. The Project Team has also drawn on the experience of external peer reviewers. For a full list of contributors, please refer to the Acknowledgments section at the beginning of this document.
DRAFT
2.35 Where noise levels from the proposed development are lower than 27 dB LA90, or 10 dB or more below the total noise assessment criteria, a cumulative operational noise assessment is not necessary at that noise-sensitive receptor. All other wind farm developments must be considered in the cumulative assessment where their individual noise level contribution is greater than a level of 10 dB below the total noise assessment criteria
FINAL
2.40 Where noise levels from the proposed development are lower than 25 dB, or 10 dB or more below both the day and night TNAC, a cumulative operational noise assessment is not necessary at that noise-sensitive receptor. In addition, the noise impacts of small wind turbines are generally localised and could represent a disproportionate constraint on larger wind energy developments. In such cases, the contribution of these turbines should be excluded from the cumulative noise assessment. For the purposes of this guidance, turbines with generating capacities of 50 kW or less can be considered to have localised noise impacts and can therefore be excluded from cumulative noise assessment. Turbines with generating capacities above 50 kW and less than (for example) a few hundred kilowatts can be excluded from cumulative assessment where it can be demonstrated that noise impacts from these turbines are localised and where including these turbines in a cumulative assessment would result in disproportionate constraints on larger developments. All other wind farm developments must be considered in the cumulative assessment where their individual noise level contribution is within 10 dB of the TNAC.
(This is a disaster for the many people who are already experiencing extreme levels of noise from numerous small turbines close to their properties. They could now also be surrounded by huge turbines adding to their misery as the noise levels from the small turbines will not be considered. It also allows owners of small turbines to get away with blue murder as no noise assessments will be made.)
On the issue of the limits, why have they changed from the consultation draft back to what they were originally in ETSU-R-97? Why have none of the consultation responses (which includes those from members of the public) been published?
It looks to us like the the civil servants outflanked the experts, which is probably why it took so long to finalise; it should have been published in the Autumn of 2025. Questions need to be asked! The experts who were consulted need to speak out or nothing will be done.
FINAL
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