Sparks are flying in village over energy company's new wind turbine deal

A furious row is on the horizon with developers erecting eight new wind turbines at Tetney.

ASC Renewables was granted permission to build the onshore turbines at Bishopthorpe farm.

A community fund agreement was reached with Tetney Parish Council in order to provide a benefit for the villagers of the area and in particular young people.

The scheme, working in conjunction with a wider community benefit fund, will provide approximately £2.5 million of community benefit over the lifetime of the windfarm, the firm said.

A spokeswoman for the parish council said there was increasing concern with the developer as councillors have discovered funds will now be diverted to support young people in deprived wards in Grimsby, rather than Tetney's children.

The council spokeswoman said the agreement was made on the understanding children in the village and at Humberston would benefit.

She said: "It is our children who have to live with the turbines. We do not want to be disrespectful towards the other children but we are not happy if the money is being put toward children in the East Marsh and West Marsh."

She added: "They have not written to us to explain what is going on. We have heard nothing for months. We can only assume it is because the children here do not meet the criteria for the fund and the children in Grimsby do because they are more deprived wards."

Work is continuing on the controversial wind turbine site.

The entrance to the site has been widened in anticipation of large vehicles turning into the site with the parts of the turbines.

Already motorists have endured months of delays on the roads in Cleethorpes and Humberston due to the power cables being laid in order to supply the National Grid.

Campaigners opposed to the construction of the wind turbines near Tetney organised a protest walk and a petition.

They said eight more turbines, all 115-metres high to be erected at Bishopthorpe, would destroy the view of the Lincolnshire landscape.

There was anger when the Secretary of State gave the green light to ASC Renewables for the turbines, near to The Fitties last year.

The turbines will add to the existing two at the site which are part of a separate development.

They will be capable of generating 55.1GWh of renewable electricity a year – enough to supply 11,500 homes.

As reported, the planning inspector said that it was "not clear that the landscape character and visual impacts would be significantly harmful" and that there was "no evidence of the likelihood of any material impact on tourism in the area".

Construction has taken a year and the turbines are expected to become operational next year.

The firm developing the site Baywa-re have not commented on the community reaction but confirmed the turbines will become operational next year.