Turbines taller than Big Ben plan

Go-ahead has been given for seven new wind turbines in Northamptonshire, each taller than the Big Ben clock tower.

The turbines will be built on a wind farm development between Rushton and Pipewell after the scheme was approved by Kettering Borough Council.

Residents said the New Albion Farm development was a noisy and unsightly intrusion in an attractive rural area.

But planners said government policy backed the Infinergy development and there was no legal reason to reject it.

Government backing

Alison Wiley who chaired the planning committee that approved the project, said members of the committee did not feel they had much choice but to back the proposal.

"It is an emotive issue and we knew feelings would run high but the committee felt the legal constraints not to pass the development were not there.

"If we had rejected the development it would have gone ahead on appeal because of government policy backing wind energy.

"A large number of people were at the planning meeting who supported wind energy," she said.

Charles Sandham from developers Infinergy said the site was ideally placed for wind energy and this resource was being backed by the government.