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A Caversham man can use his revolving helicopter pad for ‘recreational sumo wrestling’ but not landing his chopper, after a “bonkers” decision by council planners.

Jeremy Paxton built the revolving pad in his garden so he could rotate his helicopter and take off into the wind, but did so without planning permission and had to apply to the council retrospectively.

Although Reading Borough Council’s planning committee granted him permission for the turntable at the hearing on Wednesday, October 12, it added he would not be able to use it for his helicopter in case he damaged a nearby willow tree which is protected, an issue Mr Paxton said he would contest.

He added the ruling means he will only be able to use the turntable, which is covered in turf and flush with the ground ‘so it looks like part of the lawn, for dining on, rotating the table to get the best of the sun, table tennis and recreational sumo wrestling’.

Before the councillors voted to allow the application with the attached condition, Councillor Isobel Ballsdon said: “It’s unfortunate for the applicant that he decided to build this before getting planning permission.

“I regret that if everyone on the committee supports that he can’t use it for his helicopter he will have spent money and wasted it, but then again he does say the main uses are recreational sumo wrestling and dining.”

Following the meeting, Mr Paxton said: “It seems bonkers that I can land anywhere I like in my garden, but the council want to say that I cannot land on a flush mounted turntable that allows the helicopter to be swung around so that the kids can play table tennis.

“The council say that landing on the turntable might damage a tree, but I could land on that spot if the turntable was not there.

“Would I really want to land too close to a tree in a helicopter?

“It all seems daft and childish nonsense to me and yet another appeal to waste public funds.”