'No noise' from wind turbines

RESIDENTS living near the new wind farm at Gedney Marsh have been assured there will be no noise disturbance once its six turbines become operational.

Construction work on the turbines has just been completed and the farm will undergo a 40-day testing period before being connected to the grid network in early June.

Project engineer Jamie Cornish, of Wind Prospect, said the scheme has received positive feedback so far and insisted that once the turbines begin generating electricity there will be no noise disturbance.

He said: "All you will hear when standing underneath is an aerodynamic swoosh as it cuts through the air.

"When you are a reasonable distance away there will be no hindrance.

"The closest these turbines will be to any dwellings is one kilometre, where you will hear no noise of any sort. It is not an issue.

"There have been several local people who have been very interested in the wind farm and we have had a lot of positive feedback.

"It is a feature of the environment now and has to be accepted. It is hard to picture what these things look like until they are built but we have now completed two farms in the Fens and people have been very happy.

"We've had no negative comments."

The 40-day testing period is due to start within the next couple of weeks when the turbines will be turned on and off during different trials.

But one person who believes the turbines could create a noise distrubance is Anthony Chadwick, who lives just half a mile from the site.

He told the Spalding Guardian: "My concern is that these are the first ones to be built in rural areas near to houses.

"I have seen a lot of wind turbines and as you move further away you get a vortex effect and it sounds like six refrigerated lorries in a traffic jam.

"I am worried sick about the noise. We have enough noise to put up with from bird scarers and corn driers.

"I am so worried that I am trying to sell my house but it has depreciated so much and there are a lot of houses in Gedney Marsh which are now up for sale."

When the turbines become operational the wind farm is estimated to generate 12 megawatts, which is equivalent to the amount of electricity used by 7,200 homes a year.

Wind Prospect also hopes to connect the new wind farm at Deeping St Nicholas to the grid in June.
The testing period there is due to start on Friday, May 5.

Work on the company's third south Lincolnshire site at Bicker Fen, where £21million is being invested in 13 turbines, is due to start once all other projects are complete.