Windfarm complaint to Advertising Authority

THE DEVELOPER of a proposed wind farm has complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

RH Bott and Sons, which proposes to erect three 400ft high turbines on land on High Elms Lane between Benington, Aston and Watton-at-Stone, made the complaint about the Stop Benington Wind Farm (SBWF) campaign leaflet because it was concerned people would be misled by some of the information in it.

It believed the computer generated images in the leaflet "did not represent the visual perception of the proposed wind farm" and that the claim that "the noise they emit day and night could cause distress to hundreds of residents" could not be validated because the proposed development conforms to Government guidelines laid down for wind farm noise levels.

ASA have since come to the conclusion that the pictures were acceptable and that claims of noise disturbance were untruthful and unsubstantiated.

Developer Andrew Bott said: "I am glad that the statement about noise was found to be untruthful because we know the wind turbines will meet the Government regulations on noise. I am not too disappointed by the judgment on the pictures because they were not very life-like and most people will realise that if the turbines are built they will not look anything like that. Also the visual impact is subjective - some people think the structures are wonderful, others do not."

Commenting on the ASA complaint, Rowan O'Duffy, a spokesman for SBWF, said: "Complaining to the ASA is a common tactic used by wind turbine developers. We can only assume it is meant to put pressure on their opponents but in this case it has proved that the visual impact on the landscape as we have shown it is correct."

RH Bott and Sons is due to submit a planning application to East Herts District Council within the next two weeks.