COMMON QUESTIONS ASKED ABOUT THE WIND FARM 

• How much energy will the proposed Wind Farm generate?
• How loud are the turbines and will I hear them from my house?
• From how far away could the proposed wind farm be seen?
• Can the electricity generated be supplied directly to local houses?
• Would my television or mobile phone reception be affected?
• Could I be affected by shadow flicker from the turbines?
• Would public rights of way be affected?
• What impacts might there be on birds?
• What ecological surveys have been carried out?
• Would there be any impact on archaeology? 
• Where can I see an example of a wind farm?
• What are the timescales

According to our conservative estimates, the annual production of the proposed Park Head Wind Farm will be sufficient to meet the average annual electricity demand of approximately 9,200 homes. This equates to approximately 46% of all the homes in the Castle Morpeth District.

How loud are the turbines and will I hear them from my house?

You can stand right underneath a modern turbine and still hold a conversation without raising your voice. We follow rigorous and independent noise standards when designing our projects and we would not locate a turbine where it could cause statutory noise nuisance to local residents. This aside, wind farms are subject to strict planning conditions that monitor noise levels to guarantee that they never exceed specific levels.

The assessment of the acoustic noise impact of the proposed wind farm on nearby properties has been made based on the recommendations specified in the DTI publication 'The Assessment and Rating of Noise from Wind Farms'.

The DTI Guidelines recommend that the allowable wind farm noise limit should be based on the prevailing background noise level, except where the background noise level falls very low, in which case the limit should be fixed at an absolute level. A higher noise level is permissible during night-time hours than during day-time ones, as it is assumed that residents would be indoors.

The predicted noise levels at all houses near to the site are within both quiet waking hours and night-time noise limits at all considered wind speeds and therefore, the proposed wind farm complies with the relevant guidance on wind farm noise. As a result, it is to be expected that its effect on the amenity of local properties would be minor. More information on the noise assessments is included in the Environmental Statement.

As part of our Landscape and Visual Assessment, our consultants have produced 'zones of visual influence' - these are colour-coded maps, which will show exactly where the wind farm can be seen from, as well as any cumulative impacts from other structures in the area. Photomontages and wireframes have also been produced, showing accurate images of how the wind farm will look from various viewpoints in the Castle Morpeth area.

Although the wind farm would be visible from a long distance in an empty landscape in good weather conditions, it is surprising just how much difference even small structures such as buildings, hedgerows and trees can make to the view.

We often find that whatever the arguments put forward in opposition to wind farms, the key underlying fear of most people is the visual impact. Some people just don't like the look of them, and have every right to their opinion, which none of the country's wind supporters are ever likely to change. But equally, many people enjoy looking at them and are fascinated, and even soothed, by their grace and beauty.

A commonly asked question is, 'Why are wind turbines painted that shade of grey?' The answer is that this has been found to be the least intrusive colour that they could be painted - it unfortunately is as close as possible to the average shade of the English sky!

Examples of photomontages can be downloaded here.

The energy generated from the proposed wind farm would be supplied into the local distribution network. The grid has the capacity to make use of the variable nature of the wind and a direct connection to the local grid is the most cost-efficient way of using the power generated.

As with any large structure, wind turbines can potentially interfere with communication systems that use electromagnetic waves as the transmission medium (e.g. television, radio or microwave links). Any effect depends on the turbine design and location and the fact that wind turbine rotors are not stationary.

It is possible for wind turbines to cause interference to local TV reception either by obstruction or by reflection. Viewers situated forward of the wind farm (where the aerial is pointing through the turbines) may have their signals periodically obstructed by the rotating blades causing a 'scattering' of the signal. Viewers situated to the side may experience periodic reflections from the blades, giving rise to a delayed image or 'ghost'.

RES has gained considerable experience in this area and in practice problems are only experienced when the receiver already has a poor signal. Generally TV interference problems are predictable and normally there is a range of solutions available.

RES is performing a full technical assessment through prediction modelling and field studies of the scale and location of local TV interference that might occur as a result of the wind farm. The results are expected to show that only limited interference to a few locations in close proximity to the wind farm may be experienced, but as this is a conservative assessment it is likely that no interference will be experienced at all. Any isolated cases of interference are likely to have ready solutions and easily rectified by RES at no cost to the property owner.

The rotating wind turbine blades can cast a moving shadow on the surrounding countryside that cause a flickering effect and can affect residents living nearby. Whether problems due to shadow flicker will occur is dependent on the size of the turbines, the distance from the turbines to the shadow receptors, the angle and intensity of the sun and meteorological circumstances.

RES has conducted an assessment of shadow flicker which has been reported fully in the Environmental Statement. This assessment has been based on the Scottish Office Guidelines (PAN 45) which predicts that houses which are located further than 10 rotor diameters away from a wind turbine are unlikely to experience a disturbance from shadow flicker. As the rotor diameter of the candidate turbine has been calculated as 93m, all houses within 930m of the wind farm have been assessed.

Would public rights of way be affected?

There are several public rights of way in the form of footpaths and a bridleway which cross the wind farm site. RES have been consulting with Northumberland County Council as the site has evolved. No turbines sit on the public rights of way and RES is keen to ensure that users of the public rights of way can continue to enjoythe amenity that these afford. Temporary closures will be put in place as the site is constructed, and following guidelines agreed with Northumberland County Council, care will be taken to ensure that these temporary closures will be well publicized and last for a matter of weeks. RES will work together with the Council to discuss options for an alternative route for users while these temporary closures are enforced.

What impacts might there be on birds?

There has been considerable media interest in the effects of wind turbines on birds over the years, with many conflicting reports. Most negative reports have been written about a few isolated cases where wind farms have been built in close proximity to large numbers of sensitive species, particularly in Spain and US.

Following early consultation with relevant bodies such as Natural England and the RSPB and as a result of guidance and technical assessment, wintering and breeding bird surveys were undertaken at Rayburn Lake. Aspects such as avian migratory and breeding patterns were assessed and the results of the bird usage of the Lake and its surrounds charted in order to better understand the bird uses in the area.

Various species of geese, swan and wildfowl were assessed as using the Lake, some of which were assessed as being of regional importance. The design of the site has also been adapted to reflect bird movements particularly with reference to sensitive coastal areas such as Druridge Bay and Lindisfarne.

What ecological surveys have been carried out?

RES has commissioned extensive ecological surveys to address any potential impact on protected species such as bats, red squirrel, water vole, great crested newt, badgers and flora and fauna. Bat surveys using specialised bat detectors were able to determine flight paths and species on and around the site, and the project has been designed to minimise any potential impacts. Badger setts and likely foraging routes have also been mapped (which will remain confidential) and statutory guidelines observed. Finally, rare arable flora were surveyed and mitigation measures will be implemented to ensure the continued presence of these species listed in the local biodiversity action plans.

Extensive desk studies and field surveys have established the locations of likely archaeological features on and around the site. RES has designed the wind farm so as to avoid wherever possible directly impacting on cropmarks that are potential sites of archaeological interest and palaeochannels that may contain material useful to future archaeological investigations. Where access tracks cross areas that may contain archaeological features, an independent archaeologist would be on hand to record all finds.

In the assessment which forms the basis for the Cultural Heritage chapter of the Environmental Statement, a wide variety of existing historical documents such as early Ordnance Survey maps were used as well as field surveys. In total, a 30km study area was examined. It was concluded that The relatively small construction footprint of the wind farm results in a low potential for unknown archaeological features to be affected. This potential will be addressed through a programme of archaeological works which will completely mitigate any impacts through appropriate recording of affected archaeological features.

Where can I see an example of a wind farm?

The new West Durham Wind Farm is expected to complete construction around July 2009 which was developed by Banks Developments. The West Durham site consists of 12 x 2MW turbines with a height of 100m to blade tip. The West Durham site is located at near Tow Law in County Durham, close to the Banks Development Head Office – see http://www.banksdevelopments.com/energy/sites/renewable/north_east/West_Durham_Wind_Farm for more details.

Through our detailed studies and consultations we feel that we have designed an ideal wind farm site that would be a symbol of Northumberland's positive commitment to the environment and contribution to combating climate change.

Our application for planning permission will be submitted in August 2009, and will be followed by a consultation period coordinated by the Northumberland County Council. This is anticipated to take four months, and will involve wide consultation with statutory bodies to ensure that our proposal meets with various government guidance and accepted standards.

During this time anyone may make representations to the planning officer at the Council. The address to write to with comments will be posted on this website once we know the full details.

For more Frequently Asked Questions about wind power, please click here....