Anger at GP's turbine plans; Personal wind farm worries neighbours.

Byline: Dave Black 

ARETIRED GP has sparked a row in his picturesque Northumberland village by planning a pounds 40,000 wind turbine in his back garden.

Dr Steven Ford wants to erect the turbine - which would measure 17.8 metres from base to blade tip - in a field behind his home in Heugh House Lane, Haydon Bridge, a row of 20 properties in the countryside overlooking the Northumberland village.

Dr Ford, who retired from the village's Haydon and Allen Valley medical practice last year, wants to use the renewable energy from the 6kw machine to provide his own domestic electricity require- ments, as well as selling some of the power to the national grid.

Two neighbouring couples have formally objected to his application, saying they are worried that the turbine will create noise disturbance and damage the local landscape. One has described the structure as a 'blot on the landscape'.

Now members of the county council's west area planning committee have decided to visit the site and assess the potential effect on the landscape before making a decision.

They will also visit a similar domestic wind turbine erected in the Haydon Bridge area to examine the likely noise impacts.

Planning officers had recommended granting Dr Ford temporary permission for a year, so that the noise issue could be monitored and assessed. They said the turbine would be 100 metres from the nearest house and was unlikely to cause noise disturbance for neighbours.

Last month a homeowner in Oxfordshire was ordered to switch off his pounds 20,000 domestic wind turbine following complaints from neighbours that it was too loud.

Yesterday Dr Ford, who lives in Heugh House Lane with his wife Jean, said: "The committee's decision to hold a site visit and also visit a similar turbine in the area is real progress. What I am anxious to get round is this idea of temporary permission, because that makes it a pounds 40,000 gamble for me.

"I would prefer a decisive decision one way or the other and to get this right first time.

"I have absolutely no wish to fall out with my neighbours. This turbine would provide all the energy we need and then half as much again, and will be grid-connected.

"This is all about cutting the costs of energy, which are going to be astronomical.

We are also installing solar panels for hot water."I have no wish to fall out with my neighbours. This is all about cutting the costs of energy

CAPTION(S):

POWER PLAN Haydon Bridge GP Dr Steven Ford.