Wind turbine milestone for Oxford

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Oxford says it has become the first city in England and Wales to commit to having a commercial-scale wind turbine on council land.

Oxford City Council has earmarked a potential site and aims to submit a planning application by 2011.

The land near Horspath Road Athletics Track, on the edge of the city, will be subject to detailed investigations.

The developer suggested the tip height could reach 130m (427ft) - about the same height as the London Eye.

Partnerships for Renewables said the generation capacity would be between two and three megawatts.

The firm was established by the Carbon Trust in 2006 to develop renewable energy projects on public sector land.

Compared to ugly electricity pylons, wind turbines are a huge improvement for Oxford's environment Councillor John Tanner

While the council owns the land, Partnerships for Renewables will cover the development costs of the turbine, which has been welcomed by environmental groups.

A test mast will now be set up to find out whether there is enough wind at the site.

Councillor John Tanner said the turbine would pave the way for Oxford to become a "low-carbon city".

"Wind turbines are a beautiful way of helping to tackle climate change with renewable energy.

"Wind turbines are quiet, graceful and not a threat to wildlife.

'Leading the way'

"Compared to ugly electricity pylons, wind turbines are a huge improvement for Oxford's environment.

"The real threat to our countryside locally is not wind turbines but climate change."

Environmental campaigners hope more councils will follow Oxford's lead.

Nick Rau, climate and energy campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: "Our new campaign, Get Serious About CO2, is calling for councils all over the country to cut their emissions by 40% by 2020, and developing renewable energy locally will deliver a big chunk of that reduction."

Martin Kirk, head of Oxfam's UK Campaigns, said: "We are proud of our close links to Oxford and it is fitting that a city with a heritage of social responsibility and environmental awareness is now leading the way in developing practical solutions to the most serious of threats - climate change."