February 22, 2012
England

Turbine plan turned down

Malton & Pickering Mercury, www.maltonmercury.co.uk 22 February 2012

Plans to build a wind turbine between Malton and Pickering have been thrown out by councillors who say the development would be a “blot on the landscape.”

Members of Ryedale District Council’s Planning Committee believe the 39-metre structure, which would measure 54 metres high at the blade tip, would have an adverse impact on the area.

But now they are braced for a further battle as the developers behind the plan warned they would appeal to the Government and seek costs from the council for any lost income.

The aim of the wind turbine, mooted for land near Flamingo Land, Kirby Misperton, is to generate electricity for the national grid and money for its owners.

It has attracted objections from the public, Pickering Town Council, Kirby Misperton Parish Council and the Campaign to Protect Rural England who argue the structure would be an “alien structure on the flat Vale of Pickering.”

Other statutory bodies invited to have their say offered no objections including the Ministry of Defence which said, as a condition of any planning approval, the wind turbine would need aviation lighting to warn planes flying overhead.

A report to the committee said the visual impact of the turbine was “considered to be local” and restricted to a 5km radius. The most prominent areas Tofts Lane, sections of the A169 and Kirby Misperton.

But the impact on residents in the village would be mitigated by vegetation and neighbouring houses with views from the A169 and Kirby Misperton Road reduced by roadside vegetation and the speed motorists travel along the road between the Malton to Pickering road.

Noise levels would be below the acceptable limit, the report added.

Council officers recommended the committee back the application, saying there were no material planning considerations to warrant refusal, and concluding the support for renewable energy at a national and local level outweighs the development on the character of the area.

But Cllr Lindsay Burr said: “I feel that it will be high visibility and have an adverse impact on our landscape. I don’t support wind turbines as high as this and I think the Government are reviewing their support for Wind turbines so it would be premature for this council to grant approval.”

Fears about the impact on the tourist industry were also raised by Cllr Janet Frank.

“I really think we ought to take into account that out tourist industry is very important to Ryedale,” she said. “Visitors contribute an estimated £390 million to the local economy. They come for the scenic landscape and sense of tranquillity. It supports 8,500 jobs – we should protect our tourist industry as much as possible.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/02/22/turbine-plan-turned-down/