Power station looms high in eyesore poll

From the archive, first published Thursday 13th Nov 2003.

Didcot power station has been ranked as the third worst architectural eyesore in Britain.

Readers of Country Life magazine picked wind farms in general as the worst eyesore, with New Street rail station in Birmingham second.

Wind farms are popular with people who want to provide safe and clean fuel, but some feel that they spoil the countryside without generating much power.

About half of planning applications to put them up are thrown out -- as was the case for farmer Adam Twine, who wanted to put up five, 265ft-tall turbines on land off Highworth Road, Watchfield.

Mr Twine gained permission to install turbines with five-metre shorter wing spans in 2001, but eight out of 15 members of the Vale of White Horse District Council's planning committee last month voted against plans for larger turbines.

Reasons included their impact on the scenery, hazards to gliders and the noise nuisance from the turbines.

Motorways and their service stations also ranked high in the survey.

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