DEEP REGRET: Alicia Hull.

Unity Wind withdraws North Walsham community turbine plan blaming ‘abuse and intimidation’

Tuesday, June 12, 2012
6:34 PM

A controversial application for a 120m-tall wind turbine on the edge of North Walsham has been withdrawn with supporters blaming an “unacceptable level of targeted abuse and intimidation” by opponents.

Unity Wind Ltd, through director Alicia Hull, announced “with deep regret” this afternoon that members found it impossible to proceed with their application to North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) for a community turbine on farmland east of Cromer Road.

The not-for-profit group claimed the nature of some opposition, including the vandalisation of a met mast set up to monitor wind speed at the proposed site, had done a disservice to local democracy. The group also accused a “few people” of resorting to personal bullying.

Unity Wind, committed to combating climate change for the sake of future generations, had invited people to become shareholders in the project, investing from £1 up to £20,000, and had pledged that £10,000 a year would be ploughed back into community causes.

But the majority of around 200 people who packed a public meeting on the bid last month was strongly against the scheme claiming the turbine would dwarf the town, create noise nuisance and devalue properties.

It emerged at the end of the meeting that NNDC had asked for the application to be withdrawn because of objections, on the grounds of air safety, from Norwich Airport, the National Air Traffic Services, and the MoD, in relation to the RAF radar at Trimingham,

Unity Wind said today it believed the problems could have been resolved either for the proposed turbine, or a smaller model. “If we have had any failings it’s because we didn’t have the resources of a big company,” its statement said.

Another application for a wind turbine was being considered, and more would be proposed in the future.

Jon Witte, whose Bradfield home was among those nearest the proposed site, spoke for opponents at the public meeting. Today he accused Unity Wind of “throwing a lot of accusations around” without foundation.

Mr Witte added: “We have always tried to play by the book and do not condone, in any way, any kind of intimidation. I have no knowledge of any behaviour of that kind.”

Unity Wind was trying to dodge the real issue which was that it had not done its homework and realised that the turbine would never have been acceptable on air-safety grounds.

It had also previously admitted that residents had not been effectively consulted about the scheme before the application was made.

16 comments

Ben, I could walk to the site from my house in not much more than 10 minutes,and if I took a more direct route over fields then in much less.As for Norwich,Nads and MOD, those objections I can respect, but the fact that a modern radar cant tell a plane from a turbine blade is slightly worrying.

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"Bin here all me life"

Friday, June 15, 2012
Many of the supporters of the scheme do not live close enough to the site to dictate what should take place there. It sounds like the supporters have just as much of the so called 'bullying tactics', by looking at some of the comments on here. Norwich Airport, NATS and MoD are certainly not NIMBYs.

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Ben

Friday, June 15, 2012
Nimby's?. And where does Ms Alicia Hull live, North Walsham? Oh no, she lives in Roughton.

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Mylen1um

Friday, June 15, 2012
If it brought new jobs for the locals (and not brought in a new wave of "furriners") then yes I would be only to happy for us to have a nuclear power plant. Unfortunately most of the Nimby's are people that have moved into the area in the last 10 years, and not real North Walsham people.

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"Bin here all me life"

Thursday, June 14, 2012
Please can we STOP being so childish and boring with regards to these purile jibes of, NIMBY this and NIMBY that, if no one bothered or made any comment about any planning applications, there would be no need for any planning departments, then anyone could build ,demolish or chop down anything they like with no regard for anyone or anything. As for the unity wind YIMBYS (yes in my back yard someday) if a nuclear power plant was proposed for North Walshan would the YIMBYS then turn in to NIMBYS !!!

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proudtobeaNIMBY

Thursday, June 14, 2012
I think the most important comment in this article is the " we did'nt have the resources of a big company" from Alicia Hull, lets hope the ground work done by this small band of amateur eco freaks is taken up by one of the bigger companies who can ignore the Nimby's and can take on the authorities in a legal fight. I still look forward to seeing a turbine from my backyard.

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"Bin here all me life"

Wednesday, June 13, 2012
I think the most important comment in this article is the " we did'nt have the resources of a big company" from Alicia Hull, lets hope the ground work done by this small band of amateur eco freaks is taken up by one of the bigger companies who can ignore the Nimby's and can take on the authorities in a legal fight. I still look forward to seeing a turbine from my backyard.

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"Bin here all me life"

Wednesday, June 13, 2012
NIMBYs secure untidy win over environmental group (5,4)

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NorfOik

Wednesday, June 13, 2012
NIMBYs secure untidy win over environmental group (5,4)

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NorfOik

Wednesday, June 13, 2012
"Unity Wind, committed to combating climate change for the sake of future generations" greenwash for making bucks...."The common enemy of humanity is man. In searching for a new enemy to unite us, WE CAME UP with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like would fit the bill. All these dangers are caused by human intervention, and it is only through changed attitudes and behavior that they can be overcome. The real enemy then, is humanity itself." - Club of Rome, premier environmental think-tank, consultants to the United Nations 1992

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nrg

Wednesday, June 13, 2012
I keep on asking the same question.Is there independent information about the true efficiency of these expensive machines. As a layman I would like to know such things as,total output.over a period of time compared with advertised or theoretical output,how long are the machines not producing power due to lack of wind and not producing output due to outage due to maintenance or faults. How long are they likely to last before replacement is necssary. When permission is requested to install these machines, are all these and many other technical questions asked by suitably qualified people who understand the questions and possible answers and are not persuaded by political or profit motives?

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Yorky

Tuesday, June 12, 2012
What a shame, I hope this is only a temporary set back and the project will continue. I'd be disappointed to see any form of victory for the NIMBYs with nothing else better to do with their lives than moan moan moan about things they know very little about.

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Callum Ringer

Tuesday, June 12, 2012
If, and it's a big if, wind-farms are economic, put them offshore, not in fields near homes, just to make them a cash cow for landowners

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weaversway

Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Norwich Airport, the National Air Traffic Services, and the MoD are hardly nimbys and I suggest that their objections to this plan ought to be taken seriously.

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a fine city

Tuesday, June 12, 2012
tactics of nimbys is getting out of hand no one should feel intimidated in their own area

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omnishambles

Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Unity Wind - blown away. Good!

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Mylen1um

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

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