Turbines 'would close yoga centre'

By [lvennells] louise vennells

A YOGA centre has warned that nearly 40 jobs could be lost if plans to build four wind turbines nearby are allowed to go ahead.

The location of the British School of Yoga was carefully chosen to provide peace and tranquillity for the centre. But its owners believe that environment would be shattered by the 340ft turbines if they were erected just 430 yards away.

They say they would have to relocate from the site close to the old Dunsland Cross railway station, near Brandis Corner, Holsworthy, North Devon.

Proprietor Philip Laniado, who employs 38 local people, said: "Our tranquil and attractive location in the Ruby Country for this business was very carefully selected.

"The damaging impact this turbine development would undoubtedly have will probably lead to us closing this office and moving out of Devon, resulting in up to 38 job losses directly and countless others indirectly.

"The developer's own noise readings indicate that the estimated noise levels on my property would be 43 decibels.

"As the limit is 43 decibels, there is no margin for error. I therefore have concerns about the health implications for my staff who would be in such close proximity."

Torridge District Council has received 249 letters of objection to the turbines, including protests from Natural England and English Heritage. It has also received 149 letters of support.

Yoga school principal Ann Williams, who lives at Dunsland Cross, said: "We chose this peaceful, lovely location because of the potential to develop a natural health centre, welcoming visitors from all over the UK to yoga festivals, stress management and relaxation workshops, aromatherapy, reflexology, yoga and pilates classes. The proposed development has changed everything and no further investment is likely to take place until the outcome is known with certainty.

"A development of this scale crammed into a relatively small field area next to us, creating a massive visual and noise impact with all the adverse health implications related to sleep disturbance etc, would make it impossible."

Nobody from Bolsterstone, the company behind the proposal, was available for comment yesterday.

A 311-page objections report by Dunsland Turbines Opposition Group – which commissioned an independent noise report from one of the UK's leading acousticians – has been sent to Torridge District Council, which will be considering the application on March 12.

The report concluded that the developer's noise assessment was seriously flawed and inaccurate. Forty points for refusal under current policies were identified.

Councillor Hugo Barton, chairman of Torridge District Council's plans committee, said: "Members of the plans committee will be visiting the site to gauge the context of the application and will also be mindful of all representations when determining the application, which will be heard by the plans committee on March 12 at Bradford and Cookbury Village Hall beginning at 10am."