PLANS to build wind turbines at Honda's South Marston plant have been given the thumbs up by Advertiser readers.

As revealed in the Advertiser on Tuesday, the car giant is applying for planning permission to erect a test mast, which will be up to 250ft high and 8ins wide, to study the wind for the next 12 months.

And in our phone and internet poll, 86 per cent of people said they were happy to see the wind turbines built at the site.

The year-long test scheme is to investigate the possibility of the plant building a trio of three-bladed wind turbines, between 40 and 70 metres high, to generate 10 per cent of the energy needed to run the factory.

And one Swindon resident, who used to live near a similar wind turbine in Northumberland, said those living near the site have nothing to worry about.

"We used to live across the water from them and we had no problems at all," said Dennis Blake, of Toothill, who used to live near a turbine in Blythe.

"Your cannot hear them at all, they don't make a sound," he said.

And the 47-year-old said he thought the energy-saving turbines were a good idea.

"They are a wonderful idea and I think the ones in Blyth supplied electricity for half the town.

"People who will be living by them shouldn't worry about them at all. Nobody complained in Blyth so I don't see why it would be any different here."

The test mast will have a number of sensors on it to look at how strong the wind is at different heights.

After a year, Honda will look at the results. It is expected the project will take around three years to begin.

Jon Cogzell, a wind energy expert, said: "With companies like Honda taking the initiative, they can demonstrate that wind turbines do not need to be built far out in the countryside and that building them closer to towns and cities can make sense in terms of reducing the amount of infrastructure that needs to be put in place.

"Wind turbines should be seen as part of the solution to our energy need."

Another wind farm development, just outside Swindon, will definitely be going ahead after raising £2m towards the project.

The Westmill Farm Co-operative, which plans to build the UK's largest community-owned wind farm in Watchfield, has now sold enough shares to guarantee that the project goes ahead.

So far they have received more than 7,500 requests for a copy of the share prospectus, which allows anyone to buy a stake in the wind farm.

The co-operative still needs to raise an additional £1.75m to go ahead with the full plans for five 81-metre turbines, which will generate enough energy for 2,500 homes.