There is growing evidence that wind turbines, particularly on a scale similar to those proposed for Heydon Grange, can have an adverse impact on the socio economic character of a region with no significant economic benefit to the local economy. The main concerns we have as a group are as follows:

Health (noise and shadow flicker)

The proximity of the proposed wind farm site to local villages is much closer than that recommended by highly regarded independent experts. Residents will be impacted by noise and flicker, which could have significant health impacts:

"More people living close to wind turbines - within 1.5km - complain of sleep deprivation, headaches, dizziness, unsteadiness, nausea, exhaustion, mood problems, and inability to concentrate. Human health effects may take years to emerge as a pattern, when the detrimental effects are passed correction."

Noise Radiation From Wind Turbines Installed Near Homes: Effects On Health | Barbara J. Frey, BA, MA and Peter J. Hadden, Bsc, FRICS; February 2007 www.windturbinenoisehealthhumanrights.com

The impulsive, repetitive nature of wind turbine noise makes it very difficult to ignore, compared to a more natural or variable sound such as a passing aeroplane. Wind turbine noise contains a low frequency element that can be perceived but not heard below the audible threshold. The impact of this noise can be worse at night when background noise level is low. Many people living close to wind farm sites have experienced severe sleep disturbance and have even had to move away to rented accommodation just to get a good night's sleep. Surprisingly, Government guidelines allow higher noise from turbines at night than in the day.

Noise pollution caused by wind turbines is further compounded by the visual impact of shadow flicker, which in turn can be disorientating and may contribute to headaches and eye disturbances. Again, this flicker effect is not just restricted to daytime but also on moonlit nights, with the effect being comparable to that of a light being switched on and off.

In 2007 the Scottish Executive produced planning guidelines for renewable energy (SPP6) that recommended, when considering locations for wind farms over 20MW (the proposed wind power plant at Heydon Grange is 25.3MW) a separation distance of 2km between the turbines and the edge of villages should be used. Both Heydon and Great Chishill will be within this radius.

House prices

House prices are not a valid reason for refusal of a wind power plant proposal under current planning law. It must be considered, however, that the closer turbines are sited to residential areas the greater the impact will be on house prices in these areas.

The area around the proposed wind power plant site is a peaceful rural location. It is common sense that if you are looking to buy a house in a peaceful rural location and you have the choice of a house next to a wind power plant and one that is not, you will choose the latter.

There is also evidence that property becomes very hard to sell during the planning application phase of a wind power plant. Considering that a planning application may take up to three years to process this can cause great stress and financial pressure for local residents.

In 2004 District Judge Michael Buckley ruled that the value of a house being sold in Marston, Cumbria fell by 20% because of the construction of seven 40m high wind turbines 500m away and compensation be paid to the buyers who were unaware of the wind power plant proposal. The judge ruled that the wind turbines had spoiled the view from the home and affected the buyers' quality of life. A survey carried out by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors also suggests that wind power plants decrease the value of residential properties where they are in view.

Amenity value

The proposed site has an excellent network of footpaths and bridleways and is enjoyed by many walkers, horseriders and cyclists. The problems that wind turbines can cause horses has been recognised by the British Horse Society, as horses are notoriously easy to spook through noise and movement. Wind turbines create both, as well as moving shadows on the ground.

One of the wind turbines is to be situated next to the Heydon Chalk Pit, which is used as a recreational and contemplative area for the village of Heydon. Rural tranquillity will be severely compromised and the amenity value to local residents reduced by a wind power plant in this location.

We believe that the size and extent of the turbines are completely out of scale with the surrounding countryside and would have a disastrous affect on the landscape. We object to the proposals because they would:

• dominate and adversely affect the landscape character of the area - particularly its open rural character;
• industrialise a predominantly rural area;
• adversely affect the historic pattern of the landscape by introducing intrusive industrial forms, and;
• dominate several unique views of Cambridgeshire from surrounding public rights of way, all of which are used regularly.

The proposed development site is in a tranquil and rural farming environment. The landscape that could be affected comprises wide views from the top of Heydon hill. This hill allows unique and famous views of Cambridgeshire, a county not known for its viewing vantage points, as it is notoriously flat.

A vital part of the local landscape is the wide skies with spectacular cloudscapes and sunsets, which these proposals would affect.

• View from Heydon hill, looking north

• View from Heydon village, looking north

• View looking towards Heydon hill, from the south

From the top of Heydon, there are wide views across the whole of Cambridgeshire. The site's openess and the absence of tall structures mean that the skyline is itself visible for many miles in all directions. If these proposals were to go ahead, this unique view and landscape character of the area would be destroyed for residents and visitors alike for miles around.

Volkswind have stated that 126.5m metres would be the height of the proposed wind turbines, which is nearly as tall as the London Eye. These turbines would be visible up to 30 kilometres away and would have a significant visual impact at up to 10 kilometres. They could therefore potentially alter the views over a 300 square kilometre area.

Combined with their height, the angular, metallic, identical nature of the turbines would be completely at odds with the landscape described above and we believe that the unique character of the rural landscape would be destroyed.

The proposed wind power plant will obviously have a major impact on the ecology of the area. The area surrounding the proposed site has a rich diversity of animals and plants. There are many birds of prey (including owls) and several types of bat, with the rare Serotine bat and brown long eared bat being recorded at both Elmdon and Chrishall Churches, and Pipistrelles in Heydon. All bats are protected under European law, as is the Great Crested Newt, which is in evidence in Heydon itself.

There are a number of reports of wind turbines killing birds and bats. Whilst the blades rotate fairly slowly the tips can be travelling at speeds of up to 200mph. Any collision at those speeds is likely to be fatal and in the case of bats, the change in air pressure produced by the rotating blades can kill by bursting their lungs. The proposed wind power plant could impact migratory routes of both birds and bats and alter wildflife behaviour in general in the area with a detrimental effect.

Domestic and recreational livestock are likely to be affected by the noise produced by the turbines. The Icknield Way, which runs along the bottom of the site, is used by a number of local horse riders. It is one of only a small number of bridlepaths in Heydon and if the proposals were to go ahead, it may no longer be a suitable track.

It is vital that plants and other land-based species need to be protected during any development phase. Any removal of the trees that currently form the tree-lined avenue from Heydon Grange to Heydon village, in order to create access for the development, would break up a linear landscape feature that may be used by bats during echolocation (a method of navigation used by bats in which they locate an object by reflective sound).

Any affect on wildlife will also impact the amenity of the many people who visit and enjoy the local countryside.

Icknield Way

Running along the northern edge of the site, the Icknield Way can claim to be the oldest road in Britain. It is a major pre-Roman thoroughfare which ran through the region and, according to some experts, is thought to have connected Stonehenge to The Wash.

It is not just in ancient times that the Icknield Way was significant. In the 12th century, it was one of "Four Highways" of medieval England (along with Ermine Street, Fosse Way and Ermine Street) which were constructed by royal authority and whose travellers were given royal protection. Currently a single-width public bridleway, archaeologists believe it to have been significantly wider because of the sheer volume of traffic that would have used it. Therefore, we are greatly concerned that a large part of the historical value of this stretch of the Icknield Way will fall within the development site. There is a danger that construction will disturb and damage archaeological treasures yet to be discovered.

Heydon Ditch

Also known as Bran Ditch, this is a large "earthworks" dating from the 5th to 7th centuries running through the middle of the site, starting on the edge of Heydon village, crossing the Icknield Way and continuing towards Fowlmere. It is thought to have had two purposes:

• to act as a defensive structure to protect the ancient Wuffing Kingdom, and
• to act as a means of controlling trade along the Icknield Way.

During excavations in the 1950s, a number of Saxon skeletons were discovered. We believe it is irresponsible to permit a major industrial development in a plot of land which contains a structure proven to have archaeological value.

Anthonyhill

In the eastern part of the site is the Anthonyhill Plantation. This wood has examples of "strip lynchets" which are banks of earth on the downslopes of a field which has been ploughed over a long period of time. This is yet another example of the historical wealth of this area - strip lynchets give an insight into ancient farming methods. Given that East Anglia is often coined the "Bread Basket of the UK", surely we need to retain the evidence of the region's agricultural roots.

The church in Great Chishill is beautifully located high above the lowlands to the north and it is visible from miles around. We believe that this project will damage this attractive and imposing vista. While there is no doubt that the proposed wind power plant at Heydon Grange would destroy the panoramas out of Great Chishill, it would also destroy the equally appealing views towards this village, with its church as the focal point.

In the villages which would be affected by this development, there are many listed buildings ranging from large manor houses to small cottages. The setting of these buildings would, in our opinion, be irrevocably damaged by these proposals to build a large wind power plant nearby.

A major attraction to this area is the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, which is generally seen as one of the foremost aviation museums in the world. There is a very strong possibility that this wind power plant could have a negative impact on the museum and airfield, as the scale of the turbines may prevent certain large aircraft from landing.

Also, there are concerns that the aerobatic displays by the Red Arrows may be affected. IWM Duxford is a major contributor to the region not just in terms of culture, but also in terms of local employment and of associated revenues (local retail, pubs, B&Bs, etc.).

Ramblers and cyclists often use the stunning countryside surrounding the affected site - Heydon features on many routes recommended by various cycling websites. It seems highly likely that the area would be considerably less appealing with the addition of a wind power plant.

The proposed wind power plant would be very close to a particularly busy stretch of the main A505 commuter road to Royston. The wind turbines would be a hazardous distraction to motorists and would no doubt increase the likelihood of accidents.

As a wind power plant would likely have an impact on traffic flow, particularly during the construction and turbine delivery phase, the Environmental Survey will need to provide a comprehensive impact assessment of the likely traffic to flow from the scheme. This should include affects on existing traffic, any alterations of the roads infrastructure to provide access, in particular the impact on hedgerows and trees, and whether any works required to the highway system will be reinstated at the end of construction. If no existing traffic surveys are available for the proposed access routes then comprehensive traffic surveys must be carried out.

It is a little known fact that the UK has an extensive underground network of fuel pipelines, known as the Government Pipeline and Storage System (GPSS). This is run by the Oil and Pipelines Agency on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and, while there is some private sector usage, its primary purpose is to supply fuel for defence. All the RAF and USAF airbases in the UK and the Atomic Weapons Establishments at Aldermaston and Burghfield are serviced by this network.

A major arterial part of the network runs from Sandy to Saffron Walden. This pipeline carries fuel at very high pressure (725psi / 50bar) and passes directly through the site of the proposed wind turbines. You may have noticed the markers on the Fowlmere Road, just outside Heydon:

We are concerned that the construction (and indeed the long-term presence) of these wind turbines in such close proximity to this pipeline poses a serious safety issue not just to the local neighbourhood, but also to the country's defence infrastructure.

Wind power plants and their construction can have a significant impact on the hydrology and hydrogeology of a local site. So far, no studies have been made available that show how this particular site might be affected by the proposals.

The developers have been asked to provide an assessment of the potential impacts, covering the following areas:

• Effect on both groundwater and surface water quality
• Changes to the natural drainage patterns
• Effect on flow in surface waters
• Effect on run-off rates and volumes
• Effect on erosion and sedimentation
• Effect on groundwater levels
• Effect on public and private water resources
• Effect on flooding
• Pollution risk
• Effect on local geology

In line with industry guidance, this assessment should cover whether the effect is positive, negative or neutral, the probability of the effect occurring and the sensitivity of the resource in a local geographical context.

Only once this has been done will it be possible to determine the impact of the proposals on the local area.

Wind turbines degrade the effectiveness of aircraft radar and being located 2.7 miles (4.4km) from Duxford Imperial War Museum airfield, 10.5 miles (17km) from Cambridge airport and 12.9 miles (20.7km) from Stansted airport, the wind power plant could pose a threat to the safety of aircraft flying to and from these sites.

The Government's Planning Policy Statement 22 (PPS22) is very clear that any aviation issues have to be satisfactorily addressed by the wind power plant applicant before submitting a planning application. We understand that Duxford Imperial War Museum has significant problems with this application and as an important asset for the region any adverse impacts on its operation, particularly on its Open Days would be unacceptable.