CONCERNED Purbeck residents today hit out at plans for six 125-metre-high wind turbines at East Stoke, near Wool.

Wool resident Richard Snook and Dave and Barbara Rose of East Stoke said the proposed wind farm at Masters Pit on Puddletown Road would dominate and spoil the landscape.

Wind farm company Infinergy has invited local people to an exhibition on the wind farm prior to submitting a planning application in January.

Mr Snook of Chalkpit Lane said: "This is on a ridge where actually there is not a lot of wind. Lots of people are jumping up and down about this - it seems absolutely outrageous.

"It will be seen from miles away - this site is 100ft above sea level and 125ft wind turbines on top would make it the height of the Purbeck hills."

Mrs Rose said: "The general feeling is no, we don't want it here. We'll all be able to see it and obviously the noise it's going to create - it's like a drone the whole time, and with six of them it would be quite noisy."

Purbeck district councillor John Hyde said the amount of electricity the wind farm could produce does not justify the environmental impact of 'these dreadful things'.

He said: "I've seen them elsewhere both in this country and overseas, and considering the limited amount of electricity they contribute, the noise and the effect on our countryside - it's just not worth it."

Earlier this year Infinergy submitted plans for an 80-metre mast on the site - to record wind speeds on the site. Now public consultation has begun on the project known as Alaska Wind Farm for six 125-metre-high wind turbines.

Project director Herb Lindlahr said there would be no additional overhead power lines on the site - everything would be underground apart from one cable to a powerline that is already adjacent to the quarry site.

He said: "We've chosen that site as suitable for a wind farm because it's right in the middle of a quarry, we're not spoiling the earth as it is a brownfield site. If we can't build it there in Dorset we can't build it anywhere."

He added: "We certainly think it is windy enough. The benefits for the area are renewable energy and we will also be setting up a community benefit fund that will last for the lifetime of the project - 25 years."

Following public consultation and an environmental impact assessment, Infinergy will be compiling a document of results for a planning application to Purbeck District Council in January.

The exhibition is at the Springfield hotel in Grange Road, Wareham on December 6 from 4-8pm and Friday, December 7, from 12-6pm, or click here