CONTROVERSIAL plans to site two wind turbines on the edge of Dartmoor near Brentor have divided residents.

The two 50-metre-high wind turbines at Beech Farm, a mile-and-a-half west of Brentor Church, if approved, would be the first commercial wind turbines in Devon. Farm owners Robert and Carol Bradford have submitted a planning application to build the two turbines which, blades included, would have a total height of 83m.

The project received a setback this week when Lamerton Parish Council objected to the proposal because of the visual impact of the wind turbines.

'Overall, the councillors were not in favour, because they felt the turbines were too large for the landscape. They felt it would be rather intrusive,' said parish clerk Mrs Ann Cole.

Members of the public packed the parish council meeting this Monday where councillors voted against the proposal, but West Devon Borough Council will make the final decision at its planning committee meeting once an environmental impact assessment has been examined.

Mrs Bradford said she was encouraged by the vote being split with one councillor voting in favour of the proposal. She said renewable power produced locally was vital.

'More housing is planned for Tavistock. Where is the power for these homes going to come from? Would people rather see more power lines across England, or would they rather have locally-produced power?' she said.

The proposal, for two 1.5-megawatt turbines, would provide 1,600 homes with non-polluting renewable energy.

The Bradfords say every effort has been made to merge the turbines into the countryside by siting them below the brow of the hill and behind two stands of trees.

The site is in a large field, half-a-mile away from their nearest neighbour. 'We have taken our neighbours into consideration, we have sited the turbines away from the most visible point, they are down the hill, not on top of it,' she said.

They say wind power technology has advanced greatly, with computer-controlled blades maximising efficiency and reducing noise.

'We spoke to all our neighbours before we went for planning, and spoke to people in Lamerton and Chillaton, and everyone seemed to be for it,' said Mrs Bradford.

'If everybody was against it, we wouldn't have invested such a lot of time, effort and money,' she said.

The couple say they are keen to allow interested and concerned people to come and visit the site for themselves, and have placed an advertisement to this effect in this week's Times.

Mrs Bradford dismissed fears the turbines were the first step towards a large-scale wind farm. 'We are planning for two turbines and no more,' she said.

The Bradfords lost their cattle during the foot and mouth crisis, which they described as the 'most frightening thing' they had ever been through, and decided wind turbines offered a chance to diversify.

The couple are long-term advocates of wind power, having run a small turbine for domestic energy for 18 years, to meet problems with inadequate power supply at Beech Farm. 'The environment is very close to our hearts,' said Mrs Bradford.

The turbines would be constructed and supervised by a national wind turbine company.

The Government has set a target of ten per cent of energy supply being renewable by the year 2010, which the Bradfords say their wind cluster would contribute towards.

Neighbour Roger Young, whose home looks onto the proposed wind turbine site, is leading opposition to the proposals.

He said he was concerned about the visual impact and questioned whether the damage to the landscape of an area between a national park and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty could be justified for the creation of two wind turbines.

'I can't see how any green benefit of two turbines can cover the damage to this landscape,' he said.

'You will be able to see them from a huge area and to have them towering above the area seems a great shame,' he added.

Mr Young said many of those living nearby had thought the proposal was for small turbines until they saw the plans submitted to the council. 'People didn't realise the scale of the turbines,' he said.

Martin Quinn, of the West Devon Green Party, has joined the debate by writing to the council to outline the group's support for the proposal.

Mr Quinn warned many farmers would only be able to continue to work on their land if they obtained additional income from outside the agricultural economy, which could include small-scale wind power developments.

Mr Quinn said the Beech Farm project could make 'a vital contribution to the sustainable development of West Devon'.