Zoo sounds warning over turbine plan
Haverhill Echo|Derek Bish|March 22, 2009
Linton Zoo could be forced to close should a proposed windfarm just over a kilometre away be given the go-ahead, according to zookeeper Kim Simmons. She is worried the animals at her zoo, including lemurs and big cats, could be affected by the infrasound - sound lower in frequency than can be heard by the human ear - produced by the proposed eight 120-metre tall turbines.
Linton Zoo could be forced to close should a proposed windfarm just over a kilometre away be given the go-ahead, according to zookeeper Kim Simmons. She is worried the animals at her zoo, including lemurs and big cats, could be affected by the infrasound - sound lower in frequency than can be heard by the human ear - produced by the proposed eight 120-metre tall turbines.
Linton Zoo could be forced to close should a proposed windfarm just over a kilometre away be given the go-ahead, according to zookeeper Kim Simmons.
She is worried the animals at her zoo, including lemurs and big cats, could be affected by the infrasound - sound lower in frequency than can be heard by the human ear - produced by the proposed eight 120-metre tall turbines.
She is also concerned it could have a serious impact on the zoo's internationally-recognised breeding programme.
Kim said: "We've not been given 110 per cent assurance that makes us happy and comfortable with the need of it.
"I don't like spreading round the idea that we may have to close but, if they are given the go-ahead and we do find it affects some of the …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]Linton Zoo could be forced to close should a proposed windfarm just over a kilometre away be given the go-ahead, according to zookeeper Kim Simmons.
She is worried the animals at her zoo, including lemurs and big cats, could be affected by the infrasound - sound lower in frequency than can be heard by the human ear - produced by the proposed eight 120-metre tall turbines.
She is also concerned it could have a serious impact on the zoo's internationally-recognised breeding programme.
Kim said: "We've not been given 110 per cent assurance that makes us happy and comfortable with the need of it.
"I don't like spreading round the idea that we may have to close but, if they are given the go-ahead and we do find it affects some of the animals drastically, then we wouldn't have any choice.
"A lot of infrasound things are used as animal deterrents, such as whistles, and are used to control animals sometimes."
Enertrag UK is proposing to build eight turbines, the closest to Linton Zoo will be just over a kilometre away.
David Linley, manager of projects at Enertrag UK, said: "It will have zero effect.
"The nearby A1307 and people walking round create more than that."
He said: "It's a non-issue."
But Kim was not so sure, and said: "We can't be in a situation where we are dictated to what we can and cannot have as part of our breeding programme.
"The worse thing would be if it would affect what we already keep, like the successful lemur programme we have, our owls and even the big cats.
"Unless we are given 110 per cent assurance, we have to oppose it very strongly and hopefully anyone who supports us will do the same.
"If turbines here were the way forward, we would definitely have a couple in our back garden because we do whatever we can for the environment.
"We don't want people to think we are anti-renewable energy or not thinking about our environment - that's not us at all.
"We are very concerned about these things and strongly agree you have to think about renewable energy."
Consultation on the application runs until Wednesday, April 22, and will then go in front of South Cambridgeshire and Uttlesford planning committees.
Mr Linley said: "It is a good site and you have the main road with the noise and you have the industrial units with the granary.
"The site lends itself to this type of development."
A public meeting, which is open to all, is being held by Stop Linton Wind Farm Action Group on Tuesday, March 24, at 7.30pm.