Philippa Jenkins

A MAN living near Fullabrook Wind Farm says noise and vibrations from the turbines are making him ill.

Nick Williams said he and other residents were suffering increased stress levels because of delays in officially commissioning the site.

The delay meant that complaints about the noise could not be officially investigated.

Until the wind farm is officially commissioned, the environmental health team at North Devon Council said it was not legally allowed to carry out noise checks.

The wind farm was supposed to be officially commissioned in October.

But this has not happened, although it is already producing electricity to the national grid.

To date the council's environmental health department has had 24 complaints regarding the noise and shadow flicker from the blades.

People living near the turbines claimed the delayed commissioning has been deliberate by ESB International, the company behind the wind farm, so the testing could not be carried out.

Nick Williams, who lives at Fullabrook itself, said he had been told he was on the edge of a nervous breakdown by his doctor.

He said: "Enough is enough. The people of North Devon need to know this is a farce — this is about people making money, not electricity.

"I am being put on anti-depressants because of the stress these turbines have caused me.

"I can't stand the noise or the fact it has taken my television signal away but I am stuck here because no one will buy my house as a result — they have ruined my home.

"They don't care if the site is only producing 70 per cent of the power because they are still getting all their funding."

Mr Williams also said he knew of many people who felt the same way but were too afraid to speak out.

He added: "They are trying to go down all the obvious routes but it is not working — the people behind this need pressure put on them to finish the job they started."

Western Power Distribution has been in charge of the final connection but said it had never dealt with a project on this scale.

The firm said the hold-up had been caused by the final connection to the National Grid taking longer than thought.

A spokesman said timings previously given would have been guidelines.

He said: "It would have been impossible to give a definitive time scale.

"It is such a major project it is essential for the connection to be correct so as not to jeopardise the rest of our customers in the area if Fullabrook were to over-power the system."

ESB apologised for the delay and said there had been nothing deliberate in it.

A spokesman said: "ESB is working very closely with WPD to complete the works as soon as possible.

"WPD has now reassured ESB this will be complete by the end of January.

"ESB continues to liaise with local residents and we understand the frustrations, but the connections have to be set up correctly."