‘They just flash, flash, flash’: Caithness councillor warns wind farm lights could affect mental wellbeing
A Caithness councillor has raised concerns over flashing red lights on newly installed wind turbines, claiming that they could affect the mental wellbeing of residents and cause them to lose sleep.
Councillor Jan McEwan called on RWE, the renewable energy company developing Camster II wind farm to the west of Wick, to make adjustments to the lighting system – designed to act as a warning to approaching aircraft.
RWE was given the go-ahead for Camster II in July 2021 after an appeal to the Scottish Government was upheld.
Ten turbines are being built at a site some 2000 metres north-west of Tannach Hill. The turbines will have a tip height of 126.5 metres, apart from one which is marginally smaller.
Councillor McEwan, who represents Wick and East Caithness, can see the lights from her home in the Newton Hill area.
She said: “The lights are extremely bright and they are very visible. I can see them from my back door, four of them – they just flash, flash, flash.
“My concerns are for anyone who can see these lights from far and wide but in particular the local residents. This might affect their sleep pattern and their mental wellbeing.
“I wonder if there is something the developers can do to alleviate this, because they are flashing all the time. You can get sensory ones that can sense when aeroplanes are coming.”
The site is close to RWE’s existing Camster Wind Farm which has 25 turbines.
A spokesperson for RWE said: “As part of RWE’s planning conditions for the Camster wind farm, all turbines must be fitted with aviation lights at the top of the turbine. These lights need to be visible during the hours of darkness.
“The turbines are in the process of being commissioned and we are investigating if the lights have been correctly set to the specification required by the aviation condition.”
Components for Camster II were shipped to Wick harbour during the summer, with deliveries to the site completed by the end of July.
When built, the wind farm will be capable of producing up to 36MW of electricity.
