A BID to install what is probably the largest wind turbine in the district has been received by St Albans council.

A planning application has been received to put up the 11kW wind turbine mounted on a steel lattice tower bearing a proposed dual-blade rotor with a diameter of 13 metres in Colney Heath.

District and county councillor for Colney Heath, Chris Brazier, said the application was “unique” for St Albans, and that he believed it is was the first application the council had received for a wind turbine producing 11kW.

Four years ago the council approved a smaller, 6kW wind turbine, at Amwell Cottage in Wheathampstead.

The current application is for a larger wind turbine at Colney Heath Farmhouse in the High Street. The lattice-shaped tower would be 24.5m high, and placed on rural land 140m from the nearest neighbouring property, and 145m from the applicant’s house.

The turbine would be connected to the National Grid but most of the energy produced would be used to run the farmhouse and office buildings on site.

A summary of noise level measurements said that it would be 40 decibels 100m from the tower – comparative to noise in a quiet living room.

The application said that noise levels of this wind generator would be, “low and under most operating conditions it is likely that turbine noise would be completely masked by the background noise from the wind blowing through the trees and buildings. Therefore there would be no noise disturbance to the neighbouring properties.”

Cllr Brazier, who is also the district council’s portfolio holder for planning, said: “What neighbouring properties will be concerned about is the noise and visual impact but as a council, we support green energy.”

A decision is due to be made about the application by August 23.