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Park planners reject wind turbine project
A HOUSEHOLDER is determined to fight on to install a wind turbine to generate electricity at his home in Westerdale despite the refusal by the North York Moors National Park planning committee of his planning application.
Nigel Wilson of Pinfold, Westerdale wants to install a 12.45 metre high wind turbine.
It would provide enough electricity for his household needs as well as exporting a surplus to the local community through the national grid.
His proposal is supported by residents in the area and Danby Group Parish Council, whose members paid a site visit to the location to assess the likely impact of the structure.
Planning officers claimed they also had assessed the likely impact from a wide area of the dale and with the benefit of existing telegraph poles to give a relational scale.
Their main concern was for the effect on the immediate vicinity of the site and on the village and they concluded that it would be an unduly obtrusive and alien feature in such an open landscape.
In recommending refusing the application, chief planning officer Val Dilcock said: “Officers are keenly aware of the wider contexts of the benefits of ensuring planning decisions can contribute towards reducing emission and stabilising climate change.
“However, the policy does not suggest this should be at any cost and whilst the benefits to this property would be significant and it would represent a small contribution to the overall problems of climate change the significant visual harm to the wider setting of the landscape and village are not sufficient to justify it.”
But following the committee’s decision, Mr Wilson told the Whitby Gazette: “I anticipated a refusal but the planning committee gave insufficient weight to government recommendations to cut down on the use of fossil fuels.
“Their decision is too important to go unchallenged and I intend to appeal against it.”
l What do you think? Are park planners right or wrong? Why not log on to the Forum at our website, www.whitbytoday.co.uk and have your say.
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Weather for Whitby
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
