'Gargantuan' turbines could be built on farmland

An onshore wind farm, which would see up to 32 turbines built on agricultural land, has been criticised by politicians.

The proposals for Redmere Wind Farm come from Swedish company Vattenfall and would see the turbines, which are 721ft (220m) tall, built on land covering the Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk borders.

Tristan Gale, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for planning called the proposals “unprecedented in scale” adding the turbines “would be gargantuan and seen from miles around.”

Vattenfall, owned by the Swedish state, said: “Redmere wind farm could make a major contribution to cleaner, more secure energy systems while bringing jobs and investment to the local area.”

The company added the development could power nearly 220,000 homes a year, with final plans due to be submitted in autumn 2027.

The proposals, which are at a very early stage, would see the turbines and energy infrastructure built across two sites around the Shippea Hill railway station, which train operator Greater Anglia said has a “very limited train service.”

Due to the size and scale of the project, it is considered a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), meaning the eventual planning decision will be made by the government, rather than a local council.

The company is separately proposing the Chatteris Wind Farm near Somersham, Cambridgeshire.