FAMILIES living on the former Shoebury Garrison are furious at plans for a 50ft high wind turbine at the new Hinguar Primary School.

The turbine has been put forward as part of proposals to make the new school as environmentally friendly as possible.

Rebuilding the school, off Barge Pier Road, will allow pupils and staff to move from their present cramped site in Hinguar Street.

But Verina Weaver, chairman of the Garrison Residents‘ Association, said the turbine would be a blot on the landscape.

She said: “It would be visible from all around and totally out of character with the rest of the development.

“We all appreciate we want to make the new school as environmentally friendly as possible, but there are other ways of doing this, rather than producing what will be a blot on the landscape.”

Mrs Weaver said she was all in favour of the new school and would not stand in the way of the plans being approved in outline form.

She added: “I do have some concerns about the details of the design which look rather bland and modernistic bearing in mind the setting within the garrison development as a whole.

“I am not suggesting it should be a copy of the Victorian buildings on the site, but just something which looks more suitable.

“As far as the wind turbine is concerned, I am certain there is going to be strong opposition.”

The turbine provide power for the new school and even allow some energy to be sold to the National Grid, if plans were agreed by Southend Council’s development control committee.

A report from council consultant Spacecraft who worked on the plans, said: “The proposed wind turbine is a prominent landscape feature and an important symbol to the local community of the efforts the council and the school are making to develop a more sustainable environment for its children’s families.”

A survey found the predicted noise levels were well within Government’s guidelines.

But following the complaints from residents, Roger Hadley, councillor responsible for education said he would look at whether a smaller turbine could be used.

He said: “As a local resident I realise the concerns there are among some people over the size of the proposed turbine and its location.

“I have asked the officers to look at the possibility of a smaller round wind turbine rather than the four bladed type.

Shoebury Independent councillor Mike Assenheim added: “I don’t think the wind turbine will go down too well with some of the neighbours which is why the turbine and the school were put in as separate applications.”