New UK wind turbine policy threatens heritage sites

Based from the recent energy plans unveiled by government ministers, wind turbines as high as 50ft, the average height of a three or four-storey building, can now be built on industrial estates and farmlands even without planning permission. Moreover, households are allowed to install small turbines in gardens or on rooftops without formalities.

Under the new policy, turbine installation in the UK’s countryside will be approved as long as they meet the minimum stipulated conditions on noise, size and appearance. But rural activists argued that the revisions on the previous turbine installation guidelines could endanger the countryside.

Paul Miner, Senior Planning Officer of the Protect Rural England Campaign, is worried that wind turbines in farmlands could damage the country’s UNESCO World Heritage sites and national parks. He urged local officials to be involved in decision-making about the wind turbine’s standard design and where it can only be installed.

The new policy however agrees with environmentalists, stating that it restricts wind turbines from being built in areas near to natural landscapes and historical buildings. Turbines are also only permitted to emit not more than 45 decibels of sound.

Meanwhile, Michael Windridge, Spokesman for the National Alliance of Wind Farm Action Groups, supports solar power investment rather than wind turbines. He believes that turbines are not capable of generating an efficient source of renewable energy because wind blows unpredictably and intermittently. But according to John Healey, Minster of Housing, a well-positioned turbine in a windy location could save a household as much as £380 in annual electricity bills.