Thousands of residents in the Burnham-On-Sea area will face TV reception problems if a controversial wind farm is built, campaigners have claimed this week.
Energy firm Broadview wants to construct four 130-metre tall wind turbines – each as tall as Brent Knoll – on land at Pilrow Farm, south of Rooksbridge.
And the No Pilrow campaign group, which is fiighting the scheme, has this week claimed that its research shows one of the four wind turbines could wipe out TV to 3,500 homes due to interference with signals from the Mendip transmitter, pictured above.
“Many residents are blissfully unaware that the proposed wind farm at Rooksbridge may interfere with their television reception,” No Pilrow spokesman David Maund told Burnham-On-Sea.com.
“Broadview have stated that Pilrow Wind Farm may interfere with television reception. Turbine 4 will potentially affect 3,500 homes – equivalent to a town about half the size of Burnham.”
“Residents will only know whether their TV reception is adversely affected when the wind farm becomes operational; then and only then will mitigation be considered.”
Mr Maund added: “Hopefully residents will not suffer the same fate as residents in County Durham where several households were left without television when a wind farm became operational. Only after many months did the developer accept that the wind farm was responsible.”
Broadview has stated residents will be able to retune their TV equipment to receive signals from an alternative transmitter.
However, the No Pilrow group claims that it “is not a matter of flicking a switch and even then you may not get the local news from the TV region you want.”
Mr Maund went on to state: “The only way residents can ensure the continued enjoyment of their television viewing is for the wind farm not to be constructed and I urge all residents to oppose Broadview’s application.”
“My whole family watched with enthusiasm the opening ceremony of the Olympics on Friday night, relying totally on our TV signal. Ironically, it also reinforced the fact that the beautiful landscape viewed from our spiritual Glastonbury Tor, the captivating Olympic centrepiece, will be destroyed by this wind farm.”
The No Pilrow group will be holding a public exhibition shortly when visitors will be able to find out more about the plans. The event will be held at the Wellington Arms in Rooksbridge on Tuesday 7th August at 7.30pm when all will be welcome.
Pictured: Top, the Mendip TV transmitter viewed from Pill Road and, above, a photomontage of the wind farm and a map showing its location
