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Support for Rejection of Government Guidance on Wind Turbine Noise | 8 Mar 2010

Environmental Protection UK¹ welcomes the recent decision by a planning inspector to reject an application for a wind turbine, despite it meeting the criteria set by Government recommended guidelines.

This adds weight to the indisputable evidence that the current Government accepted guidance for the assessment and review of wind turbine noise is simply not fit for purpose².

The Government planning inspector upheld a decision by Bradford Council³ in West Yorkshire to reject a planning application to erect a £2million, 120m high wind turbine at an industrial site in the city.

A consultants report for Princes Soft Drinks predicted that noise levels experienced by nearby residents, both at night and during the day, would be lower than the limits imposed by the Government's recognised wind turbine noise assessment criteria.

Investigating, a Bradford Council Environmental Health Officer used World Health Organisation and British Standard guidelines and codes of practice, as well as ETSU-R-97, and came to the conclusion that the turbine would cause a noise nuisance for nearby residents.

Following an appeal, the planning inspector upheld Bradford Council's decision, stating that the noise produced could lead to neighbours losing sleep.

"This decision should prompt Government to urgently review the ETSU R 97 guidance, which is repeatedly proving to be unfit for purpose⁴," said Philip Mulligan, Chief Executive of Envrionmental Protection UK.

"It has further undermined the credibility of the guidance. It is in the interests of developers, potential wind farm neighbours and regulators that Government accepts that ETSU-R-97 is not fit for purpose."

Consultants and legal experts will be discussing the issue at our annual Noise Workshop on Thursday 11th March⁵.

Notes to Editors:

1. Environmental Protection UK is the charity supported by pollution control professionals. We have been working for a cleaner, quieter, healthier world since 1898.
2. See Environmental Protection UK letters to Lord Hunt at Decc - http://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/news/detail/?id=2300
3. More from Bradford MBC - Paul Langan, Communications Officer, City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Tel: 01274 433526
4. In an answer to a PQ in February DECC minister David Kidney said that ETUS gives "a reasonable degree of protection to wind farm neighbours"
5. Consultant Dick Bowdler and Lawyer Susan Ring will be speaking at 'Integrating Noise Management' http://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/assets/library/documents/Noise_Workshop_Draft_Programme_Mar_10.pdf