Fury over plans for 80-metre turbines

Fury over plans for 80-metre turbines

31 August 2016

RESIDENTS concerned about a controversial plan to erect two of the biggest wind turbines ever proposed for the district have appealed to planners to ditch a recommendation to approve them.

The industrial scale wind turbines at the former Bishopscourt RAF base Downpatrick would stand around 80 metres tall at their highest point — almost twice the size of St John’s Point Lighthouse in Killough and four metres higher than the City Hospital Tower Block in Belfast.

The distance of the proposedturbines from ground level to the so-called hub height, where three large rotary blades are attached, is 62 metres. The blades, which turn to generate electricity, are 26.5 metres in diameter.

Planners are recommending the 800 kilowatt turbines can be erected at a brownfield site at the former RAF base, but some people who live in the area have asked them to defer any decision until they have had an opportunity to scrutinise the proposal. 

Residents are concerned about the impact the turbines will have on the landscape and hope the approval recommendation — due to be debated at a scheduled meeting of Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s Planning Committee later today — will be deferred.

Objectors hope to secure permission to address planners and councillors this afternoon and would like a public meeting to be held to allow local people to have their say about the controversial plan.

Over 46 letters and a petition containing 60 signatures objecting to amended plans to install the turbines have been sent to local planners, who have also received three letters backing the proposal. 

Those opposed to the turbines argue they “will be visible for miles around,” while planners insist they have consulted widely as part of their deliberations and that the construction of the turbines “are acceptable.”

Planners concede while the proposal creates a “prominent impact” when viewed from localised points, given the open nature of the surrounding landscape and the scale of the proposal, “the extent of change and the level of harm to the context of the area is not considered to be significantly detrimental.” Planners argue when viewed from more medium and long distance points, the visual impact of the turbines will have “varying degrees of significance.”

However, those opposed to the renewable energy proposal say if the turbines are erected, they will be visible from “near and far” and there is concern that if the turbines are erected, there could be subsequent applications to increase their number at the Bishopscourt site.

A residents’ spokesman said the proposed turbines will be visible for miles around. He said people need to realise the sheer scale of the wind turbines that are being proposed.

“We hope that at the eleventh hour the Planning Committee will defer the approval recommendation and we can arrange a public meeting to discuss this proposal which many people have concerns about,” he said.

“These turbines are gong to be just under 80 metres high and will dominate the local landscape, towering above everything in the Bishopscourt and surrounding area. Some homeowners will be looking directly at these structures and when the sun rises in the morning the turning blades will create a so-called flickering effect which will be a hazzard.”

The residents’ spokesman said in addition to the visual impact of the turbines, many are concerned about the noise they will generate as the large blades rotate.

“These will be terrible for this area and have a negative impact on people’s lives. One of the scary things for many of us is that if these turbines are approved, it could open the door for additional applications to locate more of them at Bishopscourt and that’s something none of us want,” he continued.

“Approving these two turbines could set a dangerous precedent and additional turbines could go up. People are not allowed to build two storey houses in this area, but it seems huge turbines are permissible.”

The spokesman added: “These turbines are the height of a 20-storey tower block. That is the scale of the proposed development which we have concerns about. We hope the approval recommendation will be deferred to allow further debate on this issue.”