Turbines will be 'blot on landscape'

Protesters say wind turbines planned on the site of a former coal mine in Staffordshire would dwarf other landmarks in the area.

Opponents of the controversial proposals say they want to warn the public of the scale of the intended wind farm between Heath Hayes and Chase Terrace.

The three turbines planned for the Bleak House open cast mine would be a third taller than the BT Tower on Pye Green - which is visible for miles around.

The proposed turbines are 331ft high - while the BT Tower is only 217ft. Another landmark pylon at Chase Terrace is 160ft tall.

Keith Faulkner, a member of the Bleak House Wind Farm Action Group, said: "I don't think people are aware of the scale of it.

"How do we get this message across to people because there is such a lot of lethargy? People think they will do it anyway but they won't if enough people object against it.

"If you come across to this side of the West Midlands connurbation, it is the beauty side of the West Midlands starting at Bleak House and carrying onto Cannock Chase. It's going to put a blot on the landscape for miles around."

The group is working to superimpose scale photos of the turbines onto landscape shots of the site to show views from Chase Terrace and Prospect Village.

It follows a site visit last weekend where members put up 20ft poles with balloons to show the layout.

The proposals have attracted 500 letters of objection and BWFAG's petition has over 1,000 signatures. The plans were submitted to Cannock Chase Council by Harworth Power and will go before the planning committee in October.

The firm has scaled back its plan from five turbines.

By Dawn Fellowes