A giant wind turbine taller than Blackpool Tower could dominate the skyline across Wolverhampton, it has been revealed.
The huge structure is planned to be installed in Essington to generate energy, with the news coming just months after plans for a smaller turbine in a villager’s back garden were thrown out amid widespread opposition.
Ibstock Bricks, the company behind the proposals, is looking to install a permanent multi-million pound wind turbine in the village which could be more than 170 metres high.
It has lodged plans for an initial 40-metre temporary mast to measure wind flow at Ibstock’s quarry site in Warstone Road for 18 months before then seeking to install its towering replacement.
Councillor David Clifft, chairman of Essington Parish Council, said residents were alarmed by the bid and feared a turbine would be both an eyesore and noisy. The village already has 28 mobile phone masts.
“We have been told by Ibstock that, if data supported the erection of a wind turbine on the site, a planning application would be submitted,” he said today. “We have been told it could be as high as 171 metres which is 14 metres taller than Blackpool Tower. That is the maximum height and 80 metres is the minimum.”
Stephen Hardy, head of property at brick-makers Ibstock, said it had identified four sites in the UK including Essington for a turbine.
“We’ve got an agreement with a wind operator to set up a temporary mast and measure the data and make absolutely sure there is consistent wind power at the sites and that turbines will work before we invest several million pounds,” he added.
A public meeting has been organised at Essington council chambers in Hobnock Road from 7.30pm on Tuesday.
Wind turbines are heavily used in Denmark and convert the energy of the wind turning its rotor blades into electricity.
By Victoria Nash
22 Comments
….And when the wind drops this gawdy great eyesore will be about as much use as a catflap on a submarine!
At that point they’ll swap the bloody big dynamo for a bloody motor and we’ll have the Wolverhampton Fan…a wind generating phenomenom!
Well said ray, you know growing up as a kid i could see from the lichfield road through to essington with a lovely few of green field’s. look at it now bricks a morter every inch of every mile,now a mast ! it’s been so sad over the year’s to see such an expantion of houses.rightly termed these days as the concrete jungle.didnt ever think it would end up like this.for all those in essington keep fighting,keep what bit of country side youv’ve got left !.
If it helps to generate energy without putting chemicals into our atmosphere that can only be a positive thing.There are more disturbing statues such as the one on brownhills island.
Time for the “NIMBY’s” to think about all the good that would come from something like this. It would even become a landmark for miles aorund
Just call it a Windmill and everyone will be happy.
Nobody complains about Windmills as they have a romantic yesteryear aura about them.
Well said Richard.
Seems like people are exhibiting the typical knee jerk reaction to change. A few years down the line, wind turbines will be as accepted and as ignored as electricity pylons. A few more years and they’ll be as cherished as windmills, Victorian chimneys etc.
Noise is hardly an issue with these great elegant beasts and, before anyone comments, no I wouldn’t mind living next to one at all!
I’d love to live next to one as a symbol of a future where we might just stave off climate change.
And I wouldn’t mind just a bit of local electric to power my gadgets when the gas and oil have run out, the coal is too dirty to risk, and the nuclear stations too expensive and years behind schedule.
Well taller than Blackpool tower, now that would be something. However after taking a short break in wales recently, i can only say that they are an eyesore ! lovely views of valleys, rolling hill`s, Then a great clump of turbines,does nothing for the scenery, the beauty, basically puts you off visiting.
Using wind turbines to generate power is just playing at it, and the only reason Ibstock or any private company would want to do this is for the massive subsidies and grants they can get off the back of supplying “green” power.
If we want to carry on consuming as we do and not add to global warming then the Nuclear option is the only way forward. Yes we will be left with waste - a small problem compared to the fate of the planet. And before someone mentions Chernobyl - just remember that was built with technology and processes developed in the 50s.
people moan we are killing the planet people moan about people saving the planet. I think people need to look at the big picture sooner or later fossil fuels will run out. I have seen many of these wind turbines in diifferent areas i think they look good they are better than having big nuclear power stations being built.
well why dont you go and live by one then!.along with all the other windmill fan’s.
Brilliant idea. Go for it.
and they require remarakably little wind to power them. can’t see what the problem is.go for it!
Well perhaps if they didnt keep sending the shuttle up into space burning tons of fuel or satelites thats burns tons of fuel for you to watch satalite t.v or telephone communication’s not mentioning weather satelite’s and other experimental sations that have been sent up over the past 30 or more years or more then there would be enough fuel and the ozone layer would be in perfect condition wouldnt it !!! then we wouldnt need all this save the planet rubbish.
I’d rather have that than a nuclear power station.
We should have smaller ones on every house, pv’s and solar heating too, but then we’d use less fuel and pay less tax for the government to waste… so that sense is unlikley.
An article in the telegraph (available on line) voices serious concerns over low frequency noise pollution that can affect residents up to 1 mile away. Denmark has suspended all new on shore turbines because of this!
Until other renewable sources come of age, nukes are the only way forward unfortunately. Without government subsidy no provider would even consider wind energy in this country - it’s generally 10 times more expensive per kWh than nuclear (even including the decommissioning, reprocessing and waste disposal).
Steve in walsall is correct if all that stuff hadn’t happened then we might not need wind power now. if we hadn’t evolved we wouldn’t need houses either as we could still livein the sea. all this has happened though and so we need wind turbines and 99% of people that complain about them have no knowledge of what they are talking about.
I drive regularly in Europe and these things are all over the place. They are graceful, beautiful, protecting the planet and providing an essential power resource and certainly more pleasant to look at than power station cooling towers like those in Rugeley.
The more wind turbines the merrier.
And as for Steve in Walsall, I’d gladly live near one. I’d have one in the back garden if I could. It could power my house and my neighbours without using up limited remnants of fossil fuels; without creating dangerous nuclear waste and without producing atmosphere destroying emissions.
Why are people so afraid of change?
There’s one in Reading next to the football ground, it looks fine and I’ve never heard it make a noise, tell the NIMBYs it’s OK there’s been a change of plan - It’s going to be a Nuclear power station instead !?
Appropriately designed and located, I think wind turbines are a perfect example of man and nature in harmony. I know people are concerned about the potential noise of turbines, but having seen a few of these machines at close quarters I can say hand-on-heart that modern turbines are really very quiet. Given the choice between fossil fuels, nuclear or wind energy, I’d opt for the renewable option every time