WIND turbines could become a key source of green energy in south Northants as a number of wind proposals emerge.
Last week the owners of Harefield Farm in Eastcote near Pattishall put forward proposals for three wind turbines to power the farm's free range egg laying units.
The proposals would prevent nearly 40,000kgs of carbon from entering the atmosphere an
d contributing to global warming.
Farm owner Ian Cockram said the units are powered entirely by electricity and added: "The turbines aren't massive ones like those at Burton Latimer and will be seen in the same context as the 12m high feed bins and near-by electricity pylons.
"The way we are looking at it power supplies are being interrupted more often, especially if we have more weather like this.
"It also means we can make our eggs greener, not literally, but it seems sensible as we're in quite a windy area."
Mr Cockram said if the turbines are successful they will produce excess electricity which will be ploughed back in to the national grid and added: "It's nothing new, we're simply going back a hundred years to when everything was powered by wind, from the pumping of water to the making of bread, just with modern machinery."
Chairman of Pattishall Parish Council, John Woollett, said he did not disapprove of building turbines depending on the location and added: "Planning permission has already been given for another in the village, and there's another down the road at Duncote. It's outside our parish but it is visible from the A5. There is another at Grimscote, where a gentlemen built a house but couldn't get electricity cables to the house. They are OK, within reason, but it does depend on the location."
Last month South Northants Council's planning committee gave temporary permission - to last for two years - for a 60m mast at Manor Farm in Alderton which will measure wind speed and direction.
A similar temporary application was made for a mast near to Allithorne Wood between Weston and Sulgrave.
Alderton resident Graham Grundon said he believed the building of the wind mast would pave the way for wind turbines in the future.
He said: "We moved into this village because of its beauty and now that is being put under threat."
