A FAMILY has launched a bid to join the green revolution - by asking Town Hall planning chiefs for permission to build a 40ft wind turbine in their back garden.

Joanne Hurst her partner Adrian Taylor, and two children Elliot, aged 17, and 14-year-old Luke, hope to do their bit to prevent global warming by erecting the huge structure behind their home in Albert Road, Farnworth.

The family want to use the wind turbine to power their home and send surplus electricity to the National Grid for redistribution.

Miss Hurst, who is a teacher at Greenfold Special School in Farnworth, already does all she can for the environment but wants to go one step further.

She said: "We recycle everything we can and are thinking about getting an allotment so we can grow our own vegetables.The wind turbine is something we've been thinking about for the last 12 months and we wanted to be able to put something back into the national grid to help energy consumption for other people as well.

"It will be quite a big structure but I think there's something mystical about wind turbines. We're a detached house and have no neighbours nearby so it won't impact on anyone else."

It is expected the wind turbine will produce 15,000 KW of electricity every year, based on an average wind speed of six metres per second and Miss Hurst and her family will use 12,000 KW of electricity every year.

They are not their first family to opt for wind power. A 30 ft wind turbine was granted planning permission last year at Brookbottom Barn, in Riding Gate, Bradshaw, which is a conservation area.

And Lynda Cash, of Drake Hall in Westhoughton, built two 8ft high wind turbines on the roof of her home in 2006. But she must switch them off at night to stop them causing a noise problem for neighbours.

A decision on Miss Hurst's application will be made later this year by Bolton Council.