VILLAGERS are being offered the chance to buy shares in a wind farm energy project which has divided their communities.

They will be able to invest in two of five giant wind turbines that could soon be built on a disused airfield at Watchfield, within sight of listed buildings, National Trust properties and in an area described as a scheduled landscape.

Farmer Adam Twine of Colleymore Farm, Coleshill, near Highworth, is the man behind the project. Plans for the five turbines are expected to be considered by the Vale of the White Horse District Council on November 11.

Mr Twine gained planning consent for a smaller scheme in 1998 but did not proceed with it. Now he wants to extend the length of the turbine blades by five metres.

According to Mr Twine, 40, who farms organically, the scheme would cost around £5 million and have an output of 12.5m kilowatts of electricity, enough to power 3,700 homes. The energy would be supplied to the National Grid.

But businessman David North, 42, who makes environmentally friendly packaging and says he favours production of renewable energy, feels so strongly that he wrote an article objecting to the scheme for Country Living magazine.

Mr North lives with his wife Sarah and three children at Castle Farm, a National Trust owned house 600 metres from the wind farm site.

"If the scheme goes ahead, each of the five turbines will be twice the height of Nelson's column," he said. "We are talking about something five times the size of the Angel of the North statue next to the A1, and with a much wider wingspan."

He and a group of neighbours commissioned an independent study of the scheme's environmental impact and claim it contradicts many of the arguments which have been put forward in favour of the scheme.

They say more power could be produced by an off-shore installation such as the one that has just been given the go-ahead at North Hoyle in Wales without any damage to people's amenities.

The wind turbines would dominate Coleshill, which has a number of listed buildings, and would be visible from the Cotswolds, an area of outstanding natural beauty. The study also raised concerns about noise.

Swindon councillor Lisa Hawkes (Con, Highworth) said: "I am concerned at the speed with which they are trying to push this new application through.Many people are concerned at the visual influence of the scheme and the decision should not be rushed."

Mr Twine said he sympathised with some of the objectors, but said: "I have spent six months studying the present proposal and cannot agree with their logic.

"I believe there should be a national debate on energy sources. Climate change is happening and the issue must be tackled now." Greenpeace and Christian Aid are among the groups which favour production of renewable energy."

The turbines scheme would be developed by National Wind Power. Bay Wind Energy is set to buy two of the turbines and create a share issue for the benefit of local residents. Minimum investment will be £200.