Trust fund sweetener over wind farm plans

A community trust fund will be set up to benefit villagers in South Staffordshire if plans to transform the skyline with six giant wind turbines are given the go-ahead, it emerged today.

Bosses behind the controversial plans to build the wind turbines will set up an annual trust fund of around £20,000 for use by people living in and around Blymhill, near Weston Park.

The wind farm proposals are ploughing forward, despite public protest, and developers today said they expected to submit a planning application to South Staffordshire Council in October.

Villagers have voiced fears the turbines, which will stretch to about 126m at their tip, will be too loud, a blot on the landscape and may cause problems for cattle and horses.

Dozens flocked to a public exhibition into the proposals at Blymhill Village Hall and they have been bombarding developers with questions about the plans on a website set up about the proposals.

The plans, at King Street on the Bradford estate, have been put forward by Wind Prospect, which has wind farms across the world.

Paul Grimshaw, development engineer and project manager for Wind Prospect, said extensive ecological surveys had been carried out and that minor alterations would be carried out on some roads, such as the widening of some verges.

But he admitted the plans had been met with a negative reaction by villagers.

"A lot of the worry is the fear of the unknown," said Mr Grimshaw today. "The main issues are the visual impact and noise but they are surprisingly quiet. With climate change, we need renewable energy and, with the restrictions of where they can be placed, it means wind turbines are more often located in rural areas."

If the plans are approved by South Staffordshire Council, workers could be on site within two or three years. Visit www.king streetwindfarm.com to find out more.