The Peckleton Action Group is holding a £500 Prize Draw in order to fight the plan for wind turbines between our villages.

We are selling a maximum of 200 tickets at a cost of £25 each, with a single prize of £500 – on balance the committee felt that a small number of tickets at a substantial price was a better way forward than trying to sell thousands of tickets each for a low price.

Every ticket purchase is a donation to the fighting fund, with the added chance of winning a good prize – and at better odds than most lotteries and raffles, with only 200 tickets on sale. We hope you will buy some tickets individually or in syndicate and may also be able to sell more to friends or relatives. The draw will be on 31 December 2010.

The money raised will go specifically to the costs of two independent professional experts, Dick Bowdler in the field of acoustics and Geoffrey Sinclair in the field of landscape and evironment issues.

When the wind turbine company submits the planning application, which we believe to be imminent, these experts will examine the company’s submitted noise data/assessment and environmental survey for any errors of fact or of survey parameters, prejudices, masked data, over-favourable interpretations, skewed conclusions etc.

The council planning department has no such expertise in-house (in fact this is the first wind turbine application they will have had to deal with) and so it is very necessary for us to have the wind company’s application rigorously tested in these areas by independent experts. There is a cost to that and the Lottery Draw is our way of finding the funds.

So will you buy one or more tickets? Please email info@desford-peckletonwindfarm.org.uk to say how many you would like for you and your friends or family or telephone 01455 828434. We will arrange ticket delivery to you (cheques payable to Peckleton Action Group).

You must be over 16 to purchase a ticket. It is illegal for Under 16’s to purchase tickets for a cash prize lottery.

LOOK UP TO THE SKY ON SATURDAY 26^th JUNE

A local residents’ group will fly a blimp at a height of 125m close to the proposed site for two turbines over the weekend of 26^th/27^th June.

DID YOU KNOW?

East Midlands is leading the way - We are already 25% above our 2020 wind energy target.

Not every field is suitable for wind generation but huge subsidies and rewards for landowners are encouraging unsuitable sites to be considered.

There are a growing number of recorded health complaints caused by wind farms too close to homes (Wind Farm Syndrome).

Noise complaints arise from one in six wind farms (as reported in The Daily Telegraph). Noise will be audible 2km away day and night which is why most sites are very remote or close to motorways which have constant high background noise levels. (Newbold Verdon, Desford, Kirkby Mallory and Peckleton are well within 2km)

Access is a key criteria for location as trucks 48m long carrying loads weighing 68 tonnes will be required. Roads need to be a minimum 5m wide and significantly wider at turning points. There is no obvious access to this field which is approached by rural roads.

The RSPB guidance indicates bird displacement occurs when a wind farm is in operation. Not good news for bird lovers and the Tropical Birdland which has a free fly policy and is looking to draw more birds into its woodland area.

Some homes are approximately only 500m away. Where problems have arisen people have been forced to move out of their homes. These residents will have no escape from the dominant and overbearing turbines.

Blades will be 90m diameter (the size of a jumbo jet). Rotating blades can cause shadow flicker and reflection problems for some residents.

CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO LIVE ONLY 500M FROM THESE GIGANTIC TURBINES?

A planning application is expected later this year. You will have 21 days to object so take the time now to learn more about the proposal and why, although like us you will probably support renewable energy (inc hydro, biomass, solar power, heat pumps and wind ) there is a need to ensure that locations are chosen that maximise energy generation whilst minimising the impact on residential amenity and landscape.

Register your support on our website.

Villagers from Desford, Peckleton and Kirkby Mallory braved the pouring rain to take part in a village walk organised by a residents’ group. Peckleton Action Group is encouraging residents to become fully informed about the proposal for a wind farm on land between the villages.

Following on from the successful information evenings, over 120 residents including children and even some dogs enjoyed a leisurely walk along the many footpaths that meet near to the 60m test mast. They were joined by MP David Tredinnick and local MEP Roger Helmer who took the opportunity to visit the site and listened to the concerns of villagers. Angelina Thorne, Secretary of Peckleton Action Group, said: “It was encouraging to see such a wonderful turnout during a half term weekend and pouring rain. This is just a typical response from a caring community which is keen to show why this location is not a suitable site”.

Walkers were able to gauge the impact that the wind farm is likely to have on their village and meet some of the unfortunate residents whose homes would be within 500m of the proposed turbines. The potential visual impacts and noise intrusion is likely to be huge on these families and highlights the massive human impact of modern wind farms on “real people”. It is not all about facts and figures as defined by vague legislation but also about the health and well-being of families.

Jane and Julian Davis in Lincolnshire are a case in point. Having welcomed the wind farms some 950m from their home they are now the 11th family in the UK who have had to move out of their homes since the impacts have become intolerable. They are now renting 5 miles away to get a good night’s sleep and alleviate some of the health problems that have developed since the wind turbines went up.

Despite many reports and recommendations from medical experts and scientists to review the current guidelines for wind farms, no review has taken place to prevent turbines being built in close proximity to homes. On 8th October 2009 the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Europe launched its night noise guidelines for Europe. The book provides ground breaking evidence on how exposure to night noise can damage people’s health and recommends guideline levels to protect health.

“Noise has emerged as the leading environmental nuisance in Europe, and   excessive noise is an increasingly common public complaint. The new guidelines will help countries to recognize and address the issues surrounding noise and health,” says Dr Srdan Matic, Unit Head, Noncommunicable Diseases and Environment at the WHO Regional Office of Europe.

“Based on a six-year expert evaluation of scientific evidence in Europe, now governments have stronger justifications for regulating exposure to night noise, and clear guidance on what these limits should be.” Thirty-five scientists from medical and acoustical disciplines, and key partners such as the European Commission, were involved in developing the guidelines.