A FARMER who created a mini-wind farm on his land is so pleased with the result he is considering expanding it.

John Littlefair, of Home Hill, Hart Village, near Hartlepool, had the 100m tall turbine and a base station built on arable land at his farm three years ago.

It is one of three turbines in the immediate area, with two on neighbouring farms.

Each of the structures, which are owned and run by Eon, is taller than Nelson’s Column and between them produce enough electricity to power 7,500 homes through the national grid.

Mr Littlefair admitted he was apprehensive about the project at first, but is now convinced it was the right decision.

He said: “Initially, I wasn’t very keen on the idea, but I was offered a very nice package and decided to go for it both from an environmental and financial perspective.

“The main thing is whether you like them or not and it is very much a commercial decision.

“There is a lot of upheaval at first, but there are monetary gains to be made. At the end of the day, you’ve got to be prepared for that upheaval and criticism from others.”

Mr Littlefair said he had been approached to add more wind turbines on his land and discussions were ongoing.

Neil Stevenson, of solicitors Latimer Hinks, helped Mr Littlefair with the legal process involved in the deal. He said: “Wind farms are going to play a vital role in meeting our future energy needs. This is an exciting, dynamic and fast-moving industry, and the terms being offered are improving all the time. My advice to anyone who is considering installing wind turbines would be to seek good professional advice and be patient, because these things do take time to come to fruition and you need to take a long-term view.”