PLANS for a windfarm development have been released.

Walkway Windfarm would consist of eight turbines with a maximum height of 110 metres on land east of Sedgefield, Fishburn and Trimdon, County Durham. The towers would be 70 metres high and the blades 40 metres long.

The company behind the scheme, Wind Prospect, said the proposal would generate the same amount of energy consumed annually by more than 9,500 homes.

It said this would offset the release of about 40,000 tonnes of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. If all goes according to plan, the farm would begin generating electricity in October 2006.

It is likely to face opposition from a new group, Durham Action Against Windfarms, which has been formed to fight proposals for such developments, which it said were unnecessary.

Group member Margaret Flynn said: "I am horrified that the Government has put so much money into the development of onshore windfarms, to the exclusion of other green energy.

"We feel a lot of ordinary people are being duped into thinking this will lead to cheaper electricity and green electricity and save carbon dioxide emissions, but the opposite is true."

But a Sedgefield resident, who would be able to see the turbines from his home, said: "We have to do all we can to reduce the amount of fossil fuels we consume, to help the environment."

Wind Prospect intends to consult local people and has organised exhibitions.

They will be at Fishburn, next to the Co-op store on Tuesday, the parish hall, Sedgefield, next Wednesday and Trimdon House, in Trimdon Village, on Thursday, August 12, all from 2pm to 8pm.