PLANS to build and test a 15m-tall wind turbine in a primary school playground have been slammed as “utterly irresponsible” by a councillor.

Westborough Primary School, in Westcliff, submitted plans to build the turbine to Southend Council in June.

Architect Richard Cottrell told the council’s development control committee the application was part of the school’s zero carbon refurbishment, which is funded by a £1million grant from the Government, and helps pupils learn more about green issues.

However, Mr Cottrell also said the turbine would be tested in the playground and turned off if it did not meet the council’s recommended conditions.

Ward councillor Ric Morgan, who is not on the planning committee, said: “I can see no benefits to the pupils of erecting a wind turbine.

“Holding an experiment to find out if it is safe, carried out in the most crowded playground in this borough, seems utterly irresponsible to me.

“If my children attended Westborough School and this wind turbine was going up, I would remove my child from the school.”

The development control committee voted seven to three against the application at a meeting. They rejected the plan because they felt it was in a crowded area and they had not received assurances about noise or safety from the school.

The school’s governors, who support the plan, have appealed to the Government and a planning inspector will now make the final call.

Development control committee chairman Brian Kelly said the council was waiting to receive more assurances about the safety of the turbine, when the school governors appealed.

He said they could not provide the information the council wanted because engineers are still looking at it.

Neighbour Steve Wood, 62, from Westborough Road, also spoke out against the application.

He said: “There’s been no real effort to understand the real concerns of those not in favour of the turbine. They do make excessive noise.

“There are dangers caused by putting 1.2tonnes of industrial machinery in a children’s playground.”

He also said the turbine would dominate the skyline.

More than 100 neighbours wrote letters of objection to the plan, as well as a petition, while 111 wrote letters in favour.