TWO controversial plans to build wind turbines on green belt land will be determined at next week’s planning committee.

The proposals are for four triple-blade 66m high wind turbines — one in Turton, in Birches Farm, in Birches Road, and three in Westhoughton, in Chadwicks Farm, in Lostock Lane, near to the M61.

Both applications are recom- mended for approval at the meeting on Thursday, despite being on green belt land.

Documents say the “environ- mental benefits” are seen to “outweigh the harm” to build the turbines on the green belt land.

Some neighbours say the tur- bines are too large, inappropri- ate for green belt land and will be a “blot on the landscape”.

There have been 16 letters objecting to the Westhoughton plans from residents, the Blackrod and Horwich Envi- ronmental Action Group and the Emerson Group, on behalf of Orbit Investment who own and manage the nearby Park- lands office development.

These objections highlight the size and number of the tur- bines, the impact on the land cape, noise and the proximity to neighbouring properties.

In February, Horwich Town Council resolved it did not approve of the application and expressed concerns about shadow flicker and causing a distraction to drivers.

Blackrod Town Council has asked for Bolton Council to defer all wind turbine applicaions until the borough has a set of guidelines.

There have been 10 letters of objection to the Turton propos- als.

These include concerns about noise, the size. It has also been called an “eyesore”.

If approved, the West- houghton proposal will be the third application for wind tur- bines in that area given the go- ahead by Bolton Council’s planning committee.

Two were approved in 2011, for Horwich Parkway Station and Barton Fold Farm, in Lostock Lane — which is objecting to the latest applica- tion. The plans, submitted by James Thornborrow, the owner of Chadwicks Farm, will produce 1.5MW of electricity to power the farm and go back into the National Grid.

John Price, from the Black- rod and Horwich Environmen- tal Action Group, said: “we are against wind turbines being built near residential properties.”