VILLAGERS have called a meeting to voice their concerns about a planned wind farm on a World War Two airfield.Concerned residents are gathering tomorrow night to discuss the threat to surrounding areas if the development goes ahead at Parham Airfield, near Framlingham.

By Sarah Chambers

VILLAGERS have called a meeting to voice their concerns about a planned wind farm on a World War Two airfield.

Concerned residents are gathering tomorrow night to discuss the threat to surrounding areas if the development goes ahead at Parham Airfield, near Framlingham.

Saxon Windpower, based at Ipswich, is proposing to build up to six 100 metre-high turbines on the site, to generate energy for up to 6,770 homes.

The residents' group has outlined a number of concerns about the project, including the effect on the landscape and noise pollution.

John Constable, one of the meeting's organisers, said residents were "deeply concerned" about the wind farm development.

"It may be in the interests of Saxon Windpower, but it is not in the national interest, and it is certainly not in the interests of this area, especially when there are superior alternatives, such as offshore wind farms," he said.

Mr Constable, from Great Glemham, added: "I think it is vastly out of proportion with the scale of the landscape and will cause severe environment effects in what is an attractive valley."

The meeting takes places at 7pm in Great Glemham Village Hall tomorrow night. Mr Constable said residents also planned to attend a meeting between Saxon Windpower and the parish councils of Parham, Great Glemham and Marlesford on Thursday, despite being told it will be a private meeting.

Saxon Windpower is holding an exhibition at the proposed site next Wednesdayand is inviting local people to attend. Buses will be running from surrounding villages.

Bill Richmond, a director of Your Energy, a partner in the project, said he hoped the exhibition would allay a number of the residents' fears

"A lot of the concerns about living near a wind farm do not measure up to the reality," he said.

The energy firm has held preliminary talks with Suffolk Coastal District Council, but a planning application is unlikely to be submitted for some months.

n Six of the seven members of Parham Parish Council have asked for dispensation to allow them to consider the wind farm plans because they all have property or land overlooking the site. The seventh councillor owns the site.

They have asked for special permission to comment on what should be considered in an Environmental Impact Assessment of the site, which would be required with a planning application.

Otherwise, the entire membership of the council would be forced to declare an interest when matters relating to the application are discussed - and it would not have a voice.

Suffolk Coastal District Council's standards committee is due to consider the applications for dispensation at their meeting on Monday.