Wind farm fear prompts family with autistic son to move

Derek Robinson said the turbines would make his son Steven a "prisoner in his own home"

A Lincolnshire family with an autistic son said plans for wind turbines near their home had prompted them to move to another county.

The Robinsons used to live in Owmby by Spital where a farmer has applied to put up three turbines on nearby land.

Steven Robinson, 11, has autism and his family claim noise from the facility, or others which could also be built, would cause him distress.

The landowners insist the turbines would not be audible to homes.

They say the power they would generate is vital for their business.

'Jumbo jet'

Steven's father Derek Robinson said they had moved to Leicestershire for the sake of their son's health.

"It would make him a prisoner in his own home, he would have to spend all the time inside.

"The noise - it would be like listening to a jumbo jet, the sound would terrify him to the point he could not go outside."

He added that even if the current application was turned down, he felt it was only a matter of time before more turbines were built.

"They are going up like daisies, they are going up everywhere. I think there are 10-plus going up at Hemswell, which is two miles from where we used to live," he said.

Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Susan Stebbings said more research was needed.

"It is an area that really does need to be looked at.

Potential effect

"Because it is clear from our clinical knowledge of the condition of autism that the sensory difficulties individuals can have are possibly going to be impacted on by the presence of such large sensory objects in their environment."

West Lindsey District Council said it would consider the application in the coming months.

Ermine Farms Ltd said it was looking to improve the sustainability and long-term financial viability of its business and did not think proposal represented a prominent or visually intrusive feature on the landscape.

In 2010 an application for a wind farm at Burton upon Stather in North Lincolnshire was turned down because of its potential effect on autistic twin boys.