Montgomeryshire Assembly Member, Russell George, has recommended that the National Assembly’s Health Committee examine the impact that wind turbine noise has on residents who live near wind farm developments.
Mr George made the recommendation to the Chair of the National Assembly’s Petition’s Committee, after the Committee’s recent visit to meet a resident’s group who live close to a wind farm development in Gwyddgrug, Carmarthenshire.
Residents collected over a thousand signatures asking the Welsh Government to pass legislation to control the noise nuisance from wind turbines during anti-social hours. They have complained that turbine noise has disrupted sleep patterns and has increased levels of anxiety, all of which has had a detrimental effect on their health and quality of life.
Commenting, Mr George said:
“I believe the cumulative impact of noise from wind turbines on an individual’s health and well-being must be examined in more detail.
“I have been told by local residents in Gwyddrug that it’s not just about the loss of the odd night’s sleep due to turbine noise. Rather the additional stress and anxiety it causes is having a wider and detrimental effect on peoples’ nervous and cardiovascular systems.
“There is a potential long-term health risk here, not just for the residents of Gwyddrug but for communities across Wales who live near, or could potentially live near, large scale wind farms and that is why I have recommended to the Chair of the Petitions Committee to refer the matter on to the Health Committee for further evidence gathering and scrutiny.”
