LIVING in a borough that aims to be “the cleanest and greenest” in the country, James Dodds was confident his bid to put a wind turbine on his home would be welcomed by council bosses.
By Annie Davidson
LIVING in a borough that aims to be “the cleanest and greenest” in the country, James Dodds was confident his bid to put a wind turbine on his home would be welcomed by council bosses.
But the artist was left “appalled” when Colchester Borough Council refused permission to put the non-polluting turbine on the roof of his home in St John's Road, Wivenhoe, because it is in a conservation area.
Mr Dodds had been approved for a grant from the Government's Low Carbon Buildings Programme to fund the turbine and had his property checked to make sure it was suitable for the device.
The father-of-two said the turbine would never have supplied all the electricity needed for his home but said he felt any power produced by renewable energy “must be of some value.”
However, his application was turned down by a Colchester Borough Council planning officer without going before a committee because it was just within the boundaries of Wivenhoe Conservation Area.
In his report, the officer said: “The proposed domestic wind turbine, whilst well-intentional, would form a discordant element in the Wivenhoe's Conservation Area and would be visible from several locations in the vicinity, detracting from the conservation area.
“The turbine could also act as a precedent for other properties to install similar apparatus; cumulatively this would be visually unacceptable and would also be contrary to the above mentioned policies.”
Mr Dodds, 49, who lives with his wife, Catherine, 41, and children Douglas, 11, and 10-year-old Mary, has vowed to appeal against the refusal.
He said: “I do understand that a wind turbine on a listed building or a Georgian square would be out of keeping but St John's Road is almost entirely new, my house being one of the oldest is less than 10 years old.
“I wouldn't say I was a fanatic but reducing carbon emissions is something I am concerned about. It is up to all of us to do a small part.”
Yesterday, Peter Chillingworth, chairman of Colchester Borough Council's planning committee, said: “There are policies which restrict certain developments such as protecting a conservation area and this falls within one of those I am afraid.”
annie.davidson@eadt.co.uk
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