The application for the proposed wind farm in the North Sperrins is for seven turbines, each 121 metres tall, near Legavallon Pot, off the main Dungiven to Garvagh Road, but some residents in the nearby village of Drumsurn said they already have two wind farms on their doorstep.

Members of the Roe Valley Anti Wind Farm Group are determined to fight the proposal and say they will take legal action if they have to. They argue there are too many wind farms in the area and that "enough is enough".

To date they have lodged 230 objections against the proposal and are preparing to submit a substantial report to planners arguing their case.

The group is now "very concerned" about the recent study by Dr Nina Pierpoint which claims that living close to wind farms can lead to a greater risk of heart disease, panic attacks and migraines.

"The Roe Valley Anti Wind Farm Group read the article with disbelief as the study claims that the farms can cause 'wind turbine syndrome', the symptoms of which also include tinnitus, vertigo and sleep deprivation, research to be published later this year claims," said a spokesperson who insists the residents are not against renewable energy," said resident carlo McCloskey.

"It's the visual impact these wind turbines are going to have on our area and the environmental concerns we have, too. We are an area of outstanding beauty and we want to promote that."

Locals claim the wind farm would "interfere in an unacceptable manner with an area of high scenic quality, destroying beautiful and largely unspoilt countryside. It will blight views from deep within the North Sperrins and in particular the panoramic views from and to Legavallon Pot.

This well renowned view point is used and referred to in the tourist publication 'The North Sperrins Scenic Driving Route' and views from it will be damaged forever. This area is steeped in myths, legends and historic sites and a further wind farm within this part of the Sperrins will gradually erode our unique landscape quality" explained the spokesperson.

They believe if the proposal goes ahead, coupled with all other applications and existing farms. there would be 175 turbines within 30km (19 miles) of Drumsurn Village.

"What starts today as a seven turbine scheme will invariably grow as happened in Altnahullion with Phase 2 and Phase 3. Surely enough is enough and this community has given more than it's fair share to wind farms," added Mr. McCloskey.

Gaelectric, the company behind the application, claims the turbines would produce roughly three times as much electricity than turbines 20 or 30 metres lower. He said the reason for selecting Smulgedon is because it has some of the best wind speeds in Northern Ireland.
Misleading

Mike Denny, Operations Director with Gaelectric,said he was strongly opposed to the report which he called misleading and disruptive.

"This piece of research is not scientifically credible and the methods used in this study are fundamentally flawed. There are numerous examples of problems with the research, all of which cast serious doubt on its quality."

The company claims to have received the "green light from a number of key organisations" for their plans "ahead of a final planning decision by the Planning Service".

"Since the planning application was submitted, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI) are just a few of a number of bodies who have approved the scheme, subject to certain criteria," added Mr. Denny.