A wind turbine is a rotary device that extracts energy from the wind. If the mechanical energy is used directly by machinery, such as for pumping water, cutting lumber or grinding stones, the machine is called a windmill. If the mechanical energy is instead converted to electricity, the machine is often called a wind generator.  When a number of wind generators are placed in close proximaty to one another they are known as a wind farm.

Wind turbines generally have 3 blades and they rotate at 10-30 revolutions per minute. The blades face into the wind, the wind forces them to go round, which then spins a shaft inside the turbine, which is connected to a generator which produces the electricity.

Every home in Britain could be powered by wind farms within the next 12 years if government plans get the go ahead. Officials have unveiled plans to build up to 7,000 wind turbines off the coast of the UK to boost wind-powered energy. 

Wind power enables electricity to be produced in an environmentally friendly way – the turbines don't produce chemical or radioactive emissions.
   
If the turbines need to be taken down, there is no damage to the environment and no residues are left behind.

Ecowind are proposing to erect a wind farm consisting of 6 wind turbines on the land leading to the famous Uppington Hill.  In order to get the electricity generated by the turbines to the National Grid a string of pylons will also need to built.

The turbines are each 400 feet tall - that is nearly as tall as the London Eye.  They will be visible from over 30 miles away.

The turbines are noisy and for anyone living close enough, they will be loud enough to disturb restorative sleep (43dB).  This exceeds the World Health Organisation of a maximum level of night time noise of 38dB.

Research has shown that low frequency noise (LFN) can cause serious health problems for people sensitive to its effects. People living near wind turbines have been reported to experience health problems including sleep difficulties, headaches, irritability and stress.

A wind farm located near Uppington Hill will affect the television reception for 678 local homes leading to poor reception and picture quality.

Shadow flicker occurs when the sun passes behind the hub of a wind turbine and casts a shadow over neighbouring properties. When the blades rotatate, shadows pass over the same point causing an effect called ‘shadow flicker’. Sun flickering on metal rotors can easily “spook” a horse – with potentially dangerous consequences for riders and other road users.

The effect on the local ecology will be immense.  Fallow Deer, Badgers and Foxes are a very rare blue butterfly all use and live near the secluded watering places and the nearby wild cover of the land leading to Uppington Hill.  The wind farm will result in these animals losing their natural habitat.

There is an ancient Iron Age Hill Fort located at the base of Uppington Hill.  Access for the public to visit this fort will be greatly restricted or even forbidden if the wind farm goes ahead.

Large parts of the area will become out-of-bounds to ramblers and people wishing to spend a family day up on the hill.  No dogs will be allowed in the area.