Campaigners have called for a national debate about wind farms ahead of the General Election, during a conference in the North-East. Experts from a range of disciplines issued a number of warnings against wind farms at WindConf Conference 2010, which was held on Saturday. ...Dr Chris Hanning, a retired NHS sleep disorder specialist, said turbines should not be built within 2km of homes.

The cottages around Askam wind farm occupy the perfect spot, looking out to sea over to the isle of Man and inland to the Lake District. The only problem is the noise. The seven turbines have sparked the most complaints about wind farms in the country. Residents complain of a noise like someone is "mixing cement in the sky" or a "clog is stuck in the tumble dryer" and they are not the only ones.

The proposed site lies between junctions 10 and 11 of the M4 Campaigners against plans for a wind farm in east Berkshire have raised fears the noise of the turbines will disrupt their sleeping patterns. Opponents to the five turbines by the M4 in Rushy Mead, have invited sleep expert Dr Christopher Hanning to speak at a public meeting later.

The decision to approve a wind farm in the Den Brook valley is to be challenged at the High Court - for a second time. Mike Hulme, of the Den Brook Judicial Review Group (DBJRG), claims the noise condition imposed by inspector Andrew Pykett is "defective". Mr Hulme said: "Our assessment of the decision leaves neighbours surrounding the wind farm proposal vulnerable to sleep disturbance from potentially health-damaging noise pollution created by the industrial scale turbines.

Scientists dismissed the idea of a "wind turbine syndrome" where the vibrations in the air or the particular sound waves from wind turbines cause headaches, nausea and panic attacks. However, they did concede that the swishing sound caused by wind turbines can "annoy" some people, keeping them awake at night and even causing psychological problems because of the stress.

Wind turbines are set to get larger as the demand for more efficient energy increases, a hearing heard yesterday. And an Institute of Acoustics (IOA) conference into wind turbine noise was told that people living near them claiming to suffer from the effects of turbine noise may have to have treatment to deal with it.

Yesterday, the Noise Abatement Society (NAS) had issued a warning that villagers living near wind farms could experience sickness from the low frequency noise produced by the turbine blades. The society highlighted a report from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which states that low frequency noise could cause annoyance, body vibrations, loss of sleep and stress.

They could generate enough electricity to light up about half a million homes by harnessing the power of the wind. But while environmentalists have championed the prospect of up to 200 giant wind turbines rising 145m out of the Channel, there are growing concerns about the presence of a next-generation wind farm off the New Forest coast.

Campaigners have reacted with anger to allegations that civil servants suppressed warnings over health problems caused by the noise from wind turbines. The revelation that current limits on wind turbine noise could be too high comes as planning authorities across the North-East and North Yorkshire consider proposals for more wind farms.

Wind turbines Consultants recommended lowering night-time noise limits because the sounds made by spinning blades were enough to disrupt sleep patterns. However, the advice, contained in a draft version of their 2006 report, was removed from the final submission which was eventually used in official guidance for local authorities ruling on planning applications from wind farm developers. It means that hundreds of turbines at wind farms in Britain built since 2006 have been allowed to continue generating high levels of noise.

The guidance from consultants indicated that the sound level permitted from spinning blades and gearboxes had been set so high - 43 decibels - that local people could be disturbed whenever the wind blew hard. The noise was also thought likely to disrupt sleep. The report said the best way to protect locals was to cut the maximum permitted noise to 38 decibels, or 33 decibels if the machines created discernible "beating" noises as they spun. It has now emerged that officials removed the warnings from the draft report in 2006 by Hayes McKenzie Partnership (HMP), the consultants. The final version made no mention of them.

Environmental Protection UK urges the government to revise its guideline on wind turbine installation. The pro-environment group informs that the UK's current wind turbines are too large that the noise emitted from the rotating blades could have an effect to those households living in close proximity. Experts working for the green group inform that the guideline on tolerable noise levels for wind turbines was due for amendment 11 years ago.

A wind turbine erected at a Luton infants school to produce green energy is ruffling the feathers of people living nearby. The 15 metre-high turbine was put up at Crawley Green Infant School, in Beaconsfield, during the October half term holiday, but local residents say the recent high winds mean their new neighbour is proving to be a very noisy one.

The government urgently needs to update its guidance on how local authorities should assess the impact of noise from wind turbines, campaigners have said. Environmental Protection UK say turbines are now so large, the noise generated by the turning blades can affect those living nearby. ...The government says it is continuing research into the impact of noise.

Residents protesting against plans for a wind farm near Dumsurn say they are alarmed by results from a recent report which claims living close to turbines can lead to a greater risk of several health problems. The application for the proposed wind farm in the North Sperrins is for seven turbines, each 121 metres tall ...Members of the Roe Valley Anti Wind Farm Group are determined to fight the proposal and say they will take legal action if they have to. They argue there are too many wind farms in the area and that "enough is enough".

Jane Davis and her husband Julian from Deeping, St Nicholas live less than 1,000 metres from a huge wind farm that was built three years ago. The couple say the noise from the eight 330 ft (100m) turbines keeps them awake at night and has forced them to move into rented accommodation. In an effort to have the turbines switched off at night or even taken down altogether the couple are planning to take the developers, landowners and operators to the High Court.

Residents living near a new wind turbine say it sounds like a 'steam train' day and night. The windmill sited at Intec (UK) Ltd on Penrod Way, Heysham, has only recently been turned on to full capacity and then it became apparent that the noise for neighbouring properties was, according to residents, 'torture'. ..."The company's management arranged for the installers to make adjustments ...It was hoped that that this may have reduced the problem, but residents so far do not find this to be the case.

People living close to windfarms in Powys could face a health risk as campaigners claim turbines are being built too close to people's homes. It comes as Powys County Council is expected to receive planning applications for more than 500 wind turbines. Campaign group Cadwriaeth Ucheldir Powys say studies have revealed many householders living near turbines suffer headaches, sleep deprivation and dizziness.

Dr Nina Pierpoint has warned that living too close to wind turbines can cause heart disease, tinnitus, vertigo, panic attacks, migraines and sleep deprivation in groundbreaking research due to be published later this year. ...To date, the Government and wind companies have denied any health risks associated with powerful noise and vibration produced by wind turbines.

A doctor has called for a wind farm plan to be rejected because he believes it will give people living nearby sleepless nights. Dr Chris Hanning was speaking at a public inquiry ...The consultant in sleep medicine at Leicester General Hospital said noise created by electricity-generating turbines had been proven to adversely affect the heath of people who lived near them.