RESIDENTS living on the outskirts Derry of have been forced to grow hedges to heights where they are encroaching on their homes in order to block out noise from nearby wind turbines.
The claim was made at a recent meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Planning Committee, during a discussion on an application for two new wind turbines on the Greysteel area.
Gaelectric Developments Ltd is seeking permission to construct the addition turbines at Monnaboy Wind Farm on lands located east of 62 Monnaboy Road, Greysteel.
There are already for wind turbines at the site.
A planning officer told the meeting that the wind farm had the capacity to provide equivalent energy required to power circa 3,374 homes and that the turbines would not exceed 80 metres in height.
He added that it was also estimated that the Monnaboy Wind Farm Extension will contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions from Northern Ireland by 5,971 tonnes per annum.
However, the planning officer told the meeting that 82 objections had been lodged against the proposal, which focussed on several areas of concern, including sleep deprivation in relation to noise, impact on the landscape quality and impact upon local communication systems and electrical interference.
Objections were also lodged in relation to the proximity of the turbines to residential property and a potential decrease in property values, the meeting was told.
The planning officer added that a letter had also been submitted from a letting agency which also advised that the proposal will have a negative effect on the rental market in the area.
He added that all of the objections had been considered, adding that while the turbines would have some visual impact, it is not considered ‘unacceptable either individually or cumulatively’.
The officer continued that there would be ‘substantial’ environmental, economic and social benefits as a result of the development.
He continued that the scheme ‘will not have an unacceptable impact on the visual amenity and character of landscape and surrounding countryside, and will not have a significantly adverse impact upon the amenity of local residents’.
The officer recommended that the turbines be approved, with 31 conditions attached to mitigate against any potentially adverse impacts, such as control of noise levels from the development at ‘noise sensitive locations’.
Sinn Fein’s Paul Fleming was then given the opportunity to address the meeting on behalf of those objecting to the proposal.
He told the meeting that 82 objections had been lodged against the plans, while a further 135 people had signed a petition opposing the new turbines, which has said represented ‘virtually all’ of the residents living in the area around the wind farm.
Cllr Fleming added that the objections were ‘varied’ in their concerns with some focussing on the ‘visual impact and the erosion of landscape character’, while others spoke of the ‘significant adverse impact on the local conservation area’.
With regards to the visual impact, Cllr Fleming added that the turbines were visible from Lough Foyle.
“Indeed, there are few areas from where they will not be visible,” he said.
He told the meeting that the four turbines which were already ‘inappropriately’ placed at the site ‘should not give license for more’.
Cllr Fleming added that the noise levels coming from the existing four turbines were such that the people living nearby had been forced to grow their hedges to a height where they were encroaching on their homes and blocking daylight in an effort to reduce their impact.
“The noise is still unbearable,” he said, before continuing that a further two turbines would be an ‘added injustice’ for the residents.
He requested that any decision on the development be deferred so that a site visit take place with members of the Planning Committee.
His party colleague, Christopher Jackson, raised concerns about the proximity of the turbines to residential properties, with the planning officer adding that 60 residential properties had been identified within two kilometres of the site.
The DUP’s Hilary McClintock said the close distance between the turbines and the homes was ‘quite shocking’ adding that the fact that 80 objections had been gathered from a rural location showed the level of opposition to the development.
The committee then agreed to defer the decision for a site visit.
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