PROTESTERS against a proposed eight-turbine wind farm near Graveley claim it would tower above surrounding villages and be visible from 30km distance. The 127-metre (417 feet) turbines would be twice the height of Ely s 66-metre cathedral tower and taller

PROTESTERS against a proposed eight-turbine wind farm near Graveley claim it would tower above surrounding villages and be visible from 30km distance.

The 127-metre (417 feet) turbines would be twice the height of Ely's 66-metre cathedral tower and taller than the dome of St Paul's Cathedral, in London, they claim. (England's tallest cathedral is in Salisbury, where the spire reaches 404 feet.)

The Cotton Farm Action Group claims 97 per cent support in Toseland for its opposition and 88 per cent in Graveley.

The group is urging people from surrounding villages to attend an exhibition this weekend mounted by npower renewables, the scheme's promoters, in the Offords Village Hall.

"We are getting a lot of feedback that local people are angry about this proposal and want to oppose it," said Bev Gray, chairman of the action group. "This is great, but we really need people to attend the exhibition and make their views known. The more people that attend the exhibition and register their disapproval, the more chance we have of stopping the power station.

"We are also urging people to write to their parish and district councillors so they get a strong message from electors that this wind farm is unacceptable."

The group claims the project, if allowed to go ahead, would cause noise pollution, destruction of the countryside and a detrimental impact on wildlife.

Villagers are also angry that the very high indirect subsidies paid to wind farm developers are tempting energy companies to develop on sites with relatively low wind speeds, such as Graveley Airfield.

They say eight two-megaWatt turbines would generate £1.6million from the sale of electricity and an additional £2.4million in Government subsidy.

Kim Gauld-Clark, npower's project developer for the Cotton Farm Wind Farm proposal, said: "npower renewables will be measuring public opinion about the proposed wind farm at the public exhibition and energy efficiency event at Offord Village Hall this weekend. Everyone who attends the event will be invited to complete a comments form.

"We encourage the whole community to come along and find out more about the proposals for themselves, to ask questions and reach an informed opinion about them."

INFORMATION: The exhibition will be open at the village hall in Offord Cluny on March 8 from 2pm to 6pm and on March 9 from 10am to 4pm.