VILLAGERS living along the A48 look set to go to war over plans for wind turbines overlooking the Severn.

Residents in Aylburton and Alvington have already clashed over plans to put a 87m turbine between the two villages.

Critics say they are furious about claims that there is overwhelming community support and have set up an action group to fight the Woolaston-based Resilience Centre.

Both sides accused the other of misrepresenting the size of the turbine and the impact it would have on views towards the river at a stormy meeting at the Memorial Hall recently.

A spokesman for Aylburton Says NO says there is support for renewable energy but not a turbine at Alvington Court Farm.

"There are a great number of people distressed by this proposal and a strong community feeling that the size of such a development would be inappropriate for the village and locality," said a spokesman.

"It is just a money spinning venture but at a terrible cost to this community."

The same centre was behind a recently erected turbine at St Briavels which has been praised nationally for a financial scheme by Abundance Generation which has allowed local people to invest.

But councillor Marion Winship (Ind, Alvington, Aylburton and West Lydney) claims there has been no opposition because the siting of the turbine at Great Dunkilns Farm means neighbouring parishes pay the price for a windmill which earns the community of St Briavels up to £20,000 a year.

"Six weeks ago, the gentle wooded escarpment between Aylburton and Hewelsfield was transformed by the erection of an 87metre high turbine, which looms over the valley and impacts on the visual amenity of those living below," she said.

"Another planning application is now in for a similar turbine at Court Farm, Alvington, and a further three are planned along the A48 at Stroat, Plusterwine and Lydney.

"The cumulative effect of these vast machines will be to industrialise the rural landscape along the Severn estuary."

Director Sue Clarke says Resilience allows local communities and landowners to reap the benefits of windpower and accused opponents of using misinformation to whip up opposition.

"Whilst we appreciate that not everyone may be in support of wind turbines, a quick look on the planning portal will confirm that we do have a lot of local support for the Alvington Court application," she said.

"We have carried out more community engagement than for most projects of this scale.

"Each are single turbine applications designed to help meet, not exceed local energy demand. They are sensitively located to minimise overall environmental impacts and the projects are each independent of one another and widely spaced to reduce any cumulative effects."

The four turbines are at Alvington Court, Alvington; Alnwick Grange-Plusterwine Farm, Woolaston; Nurshill Farm, to the northeast of Lydney; and Severndale Farm, Tidenham.