DEPUTY Prime Minster John Prescott is to be asked to settle once and for all the long-running row over the building of a wind farm near Swindon.

But, whatever his decision on just how long the blades of the five turbines should be, a wind farm will definitely be built on the site at the disused Watchfield airfield.

This is the pledge of Adam Twine, the man behind the project, who has been fighting for 12 years to get it up and running.

On Monday members of the Vale of White Horse District Council's planning committee were asked to agree to the blades being extended another five metres in length from the 26 metres already agreed to 31 metres .

But, after a lengthy debate, they decided to ask the Government to call in the application for Mr Prescott, who is the First Secretary of State, to determine whether the blades can be longer.

Mr Twine sees the move by the council as a deliberate delaying tactic.

And he said: "Whatever happens there will be a wind farm on the site."

He said the longer blades would have made less noise and produced 40 per cent more electricity.

But he added: "We cannot afford to wait any more. We are going ahead with the original scheme and I would expect work to start around the end of the year."

The wind farm is to be developed by Energy 4 All, a co-operative of 1,300 people which already owns two wind farms in Cumbria.

Mr Twine said : "This is going to be a community-owned scheme and a new co-operative will be formed which will involve local people who want to invest and own their own wind farm."

He estimates that a total of £3 million will be required and said there should be no problems raising that amount.

Mr Twine estimates that it will take at least a year or more for Mr Prescott to announce his decision.

Even if the deputy PM does give the go ahead for the longer blades, it might be too late for them to be included in the scheme and the original plans will be carried through.

Martin Vincent