CONTROVERSIAL plans for a wind farm in Sedgemoor have been lodged this week.

Green electricity firm Ecotricity has applied to Sedgemoor District Council for permission to build four wind turbines at Black Ditch, off the M5 near West Huntspill.

District planners have 16 weeks to consider the application, which people can view at the council’s offices in King Square, Bridgwater.

As previously reported in The Mercury, The Huntspill Wind Farm Action Group believes the proposals would destroy the area’s natural landscape.

Campaigners also claimed this week the planning application was purposely submitted just before Christmas as opponents would be distracted at this time of year.

But Ecotricity insists it has listened carefully to the views of local people during its consultation phase and as a result reduced the number of proposed turbines from five to four.

The company also says the wind farm would power more than 6,700 local homes, or 15% of households in Sedgemoor, each year.

Dale Vince, Ecotricity founder, said: “We hope the council will recognise the real need to develop good sources of local clean energy and that the planning committee in particular will reflect that the vast majority of people in the district wish to see developments such as this - and that those people the committee does hear from on this will be a tiny but very vocal minority.”