Carrick residents object to wind turbines proposal

ELECTED representatives in Carrickfergus have expressed support for residents objecting to the proposed construction of two wind turbines in the borough.

Councillor Noel Williams, former Head of the Energy Saving Trust in Northern Ireland, and Councillor Billy Hamilton were among a number of local politicians who joined householders at a recent planning meeting in Carrick Town Hall.

Referring to the application for a turbine north of New Line, Cllr Williams said: “I have dealt with many sustainable energy issues, but I have never seen such a case where residents would have to look out of their window and be at eye level with the turbine rotor; moreover, with the bright night-time lights of Belfast in the distance being in direct line with turbine blades and residents’ homes, they could suffer from blade flicker day and night.

“This turbine is actually within a residential area of the town, is surrounded by residences and could not be considered as rural by any standards.”

Meanwhile, independent representative Billy Hamilton highlighted the potential health concerns for those living in close proximity to the structures. “I’ve worked right beside a fairly large turbine for a few years so I know the noise from these things, especially on a windy day, can be horrendous,” he said. “For anyone who ends up living near a turbine, they give off a low frequency hum and this could be quite substantial on a quiet night.

“I would most certainly support people who are against these turbines in a domestic situation; we have plenty of land in Northern Ireland which is remote and far away from any homesteads, so I don’t know why they can’t be constructed there. In my opinion, the company behind the New Line application missed a golden opportunity on Friday to bring people round to their way of thinking as to why the turbines are being planned for that location.”

A Planning Service representative confirmed the application is to be reassessed following the meeting.