INVENTOR REASSURES KILLOUGH RESIDENTS
Local Killough inventor Rob Wiseman has moved to reassure local residents over recent press reports of a wind turbine in Millfield in Killough. He contacted Cllr Cadogan Enright and they have visited concerned residents in the area.
Councilor Cadogan Enright explained that “this was a misunderstanding arising from discussions between council and Mr. Wiseman over finding a site to test a totally new form of wind turbine that rotates within a flat disc and does not look like a windmill. Because of low vibration, silent operation and a low profile it would be an ideal device to sit on top of buildings in urban areas.
“There is currently no proposal to site a windturbine at Millfield” said Cadogan Enright.
Rob Wiseman said “This project is at the concept stage at the moment, and is being assessed at the ‘Innotech Centre’ in Cookestown College at the moment. It may take up to 3 years to realize a prototype”
Mr. Wiseman is a retired aircraft engineer in British Aerospace and has been working for some years on the innovative high-tech flat turbine at the heart of this concept.
Cllr Enright said, “Down District Council has a lot of land available on different sites, and it is to be hoped that over the next 3 years we can find a site to test this exciting new local technical development that could bring cheap renewable energy directly in to homes and offices”.
Rob Wiseman said he envisaged any electricity produced by the prototype being fed free to local people and that consultation with local residents would be essential wherever the prototype was sited.
Cllr Enright agreed and said “We still need to consider how the old Mill in Mill Field is to be conserved for the long-term. Eventually it will become a danger to the public. Only last year I got the council to block off and clean up the Mill as it was being used for anti-social drinking. Perhaps capping off the old mill and restoring it with the prototype might be one solution, but only if local residents were happy with this approach”