A COUPLE from Portishead say their lives have been made a misery after a neighbour installed a wind turbine just 50 feet from their home

A COUPLE from Portishead say their lives have been made a misery after a neighbour installed a wind turbine just 50 feet from their home.Anne and Richard (pictured) Golding, of Admirals Walk, say they have been unable to sleep since their neighbour, a retired colonel, put a wind turbine on the side of his house at Drakes Way without planning permission.Anne, aged 61, has been forced to give up an Open University course and spends her days in the bedroom because the flickering lights and noise caused by the turbine at the rear of their home give her migraines.Other neighbours also affected by the turbine have had to rearrange their homes to avoid their lounges overlooking the structure.All have asked the colonel to remove the turbine, but he has so far refused, and they are now taking their fight to North Somerset Council planners.Anne, a retired speech and language therapist, said: "The turbine went up in December and it has made our lives a misery ever since."It is just 50 metres from our house and overlooks our sitting room."When it is good weather the flickering from the blades is unbearable and it gives me migraines."I can no longer sit in the lounge and spend most of the time in the bedroom. Leigh Bracey, aged 61, moved to Admirals Walk last July after he retired.Mr Bracey said: "I have had to change my house around because I could no longer have the lounge with the turbine overlooking it."As soon as I go out of the front door, the blades are there whizzing round and if I want to do any gardening, I have to wait for the wind to die down."I am also concerned that if there was a blade failure and one came off, the possibility of someone being injured would be catastrophic. "Even when there is a moderate wind, the noise is quite exceptional."Residents have now written to North Somerset Council to complain and enlisted the help of town councillor David Pasley.Councillor Pasley said: "I think careful consideration needs to be given to the installation of wind turbines and the impact they can have on a neighbourhood."North Somerset Council spokesman Nick Yates confirmed the turbine did need planning permission.Mr Yates said: "Following a complaint we visited the property and agreed the wind turbine does need planning permission."An application has been submitted and people have until April 16 to submit their objections.