Bristol community secures funding to build tallest wind turbine in England

Residents of Lawrence Weston, a deprived housing estate, achieve 4m target without government aid

A community group in one of the poorest parts of Bristol has met its funding target to build the tallest wind turbine in England, despite a lack of any central government funding for locally owned wind power generation.

The group of residents from Lawrence Weston, a deprived housing estate on the edge of the West Country city, have secured 4m, and expect to begin groundworks for the turbine, which measures 150 metres from its base to the tip of its blade, in June. The wind turbine, which has a maximum capacity of 4.2MW, will sell energy to the grid. The group estimates it will bring in at least 100,000 a year.