January 30, 2013
England

Millionaire ordered to take down wind turbine by council

Ripon Gazette | 30 January 2013 | www.ripongazette.co.uk

Multi-millionaire Lawrence Tomlinson has been ordered to demolish an 18 metre high wind turbine at his property Bilberry Farm, Norwood.

The Sunday Times rich list boss of Leeds based LNT group built the turbine in 2008 after Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission.

However Dr Tomlinson breached the terms of his planning conditions by installing the turbine about five metres away from where permission was granted, leading Harrogate Borough Council to issue an enforcement notice.

The Planning Inspectorate dismissed Dr Tomlinson’s appeal and upheld Harrogate Borough Council’s enforcement notice.

The appeal decision states: “The main issue is the effect of tonal noise generated by operation of the wind turbine on living conditions at nearby dwellings.” Issues relating to land ownership and boundaries were also mentioned in the decision report.

Dr Tomlinson had amended the turbine in an attempt to quieten it after neighbours complained about the noise of the turbine.

He told a public inquiry in October 2012: “My property is the same distance from the turbine as the neighbours and the noise doesn’t bother me.”

Dr Tomlinson has three months to dismantle and remove the wind turbine from the land and up to 12 months to remove the wind turbine’s concrete base from the land and demolish the machine room and remove the resulting materials from the 
land.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/01/30/millionaire-ordered-to-take-down-wind-turbine-by-council/