More trouble with wind turbines

An 82ft high wind turbine which was controversially given planning permission near Shrewsbury last year came crashing to the ground in high winds.

The wind turbine, on private farmland in the Wattlesborough area, fell yesterday afternoon.

An eyewitness said winds were strong at the time the turbine came down, but it is not known if weather was a factor. The owner of the land was not available to comment today.

One eyewitness, who asked not to be named, explained:?"The wind was quite strong so it could have been that."

Another person, who also did not wish to be named, said the turbine had split at the base, which may have caused it to fall down.

He said: "I didn't see it but I believe that is what happened. It was there in the morning when I left and when I got back in the afternoon it wasn't. It fell onto the ground by thankfully nobody was around and nobody got hurt."

The incident happened yesterday afternoon.

The turbine was given the go-ahead in July last year despite a number of objections, including from Alberbury with Cardeston Parish Council who said it could have a 'significant impact' on the Grade I listed Wattlesborough Hall and the castle remnants in the village.

They said it would blight the site for future generations.

The applicants said when they built it that the single wind turbine would be on land forming part of the holding of Wattlesborough Hall.

The single turbine was some 24.6m to hub height, with three blades measuring 9.6m each.

See also:

• Engineers investigate after wind turbine ripped apart