Wind turbines taller than skyscrapers will march through British countryside

The tallest onshore wind turbine in England is in Bristol and is 492 feet tall, twice the height of the average English turbine. Amazon is planning a slightly taller one, 500 feet tall, to power its warehouse in Swindon.

The Tory ban has so far prevented major projects from being built, but the flood of successful solar funding applications is expected to encourage wind farm developers to push the boundaries in England too.

The 2,500-acre Sunnica solar farm, on the Cambridgeshire and Suffolk border, was approved by Mr Miliband despite widespread opposition from the local community, as were the Mallard Pass Solar Farm and Gate Burton Energy Park projects in Lincolnshire.

Renewable UK, the industry body, expects a surge in applications for large new wind turbines to be built in England in the coming months.

James Robottom, head of policy at RenewableUK, said bigger wind turbines were more efficient: “Modern onshore wind turbines are bigger but they also generate significantly more energy than those built in previous decades.

“Not all new wind farms will use larger turbines, but it makes sense that this option is available, given the obvious benefits to the UK’s energy security, and also to bill payers who will have access to more cheap electricity on the grid.”

Many local groups at the countryside charity CPRE are backing calls for height restrictions, including Vicky Ellis from the charity’s Kent branch.

She said Mr Miliband would face huge resistance if he tried to cram giant turbines into the county. “Kent is home to the Kent Downs National Landscape, which runs the length of the county from Greater London to the White Cliffs of Dover. There is no place for turbines of any size where there would be no impact on the landscape.”