Villagers act to fight turbines

Nearly 200 worried residents crammed into a meeting in Welton in Lincolnshire to discuss the plans.

It involves putting up a series of 100-metre high wind turbines on oil and gas fields owned by Star Energy.

They are the latest proposals for wind farms in the county which have been opposed by local residents.

30-stories high

Steve Taylor, spokesman for the latest residents' action group, said: "What people are concerned about is the visual amenity - the impact on the locality.

"These things are massive, they are 30 stories high.

"If you go into Lincoln and look at the cathedral they will still be bigger than the highest point of the cathedral."

The proposed sites for the 11 Star Energy turbines are at Welton, Scothern, Sudbrook and Langworth.

The turbines are used to harness the energy of the wind to channel it into electricity.

It is expected that Star Energy's turbines will be used to help power the oil and gas pumping stations.

Other proposals in Lincolnshire include a plan by green energy firm Ecotricity for 22 turbines near Louth and a further eight turbines at Mablethorpe.

Offshore farms

The farms, which are at an early planning stage, would power about 15,000 homes.

Another proposal, which has met strong local opposition, is for eight 300-foot-tall turbines at Deeping St Nicholas in the Lincolnshire fens.

After strong local opposition local councillors voted against the application which will now be decided by a public inquiry in March.

The Energy Minister, Brian Wilson, also highlighted The Wash off the Lincolnshire coast as an ideal spot for an offshore wind farm.

While being more expensive, offshore sites provoke less controversy than those on land.