Giant wind turbines could soon be installed in the car parks of two Worcester supermarkets.
Tesco has submitted a pre-planning application for two WindRotors at its store in Warndon Villages, and one at the store in St Peter’s.
But the idea has been criticised by Warndon parish councillors, who say the idea is pointless and ugly.
Councillor Ted Holloway said: “Having cut down all the trees Tesco has decided to go green and erect two wind turbines. It is in a natural hollow – where is the wind going to come from?
“It looks a bit like the Angel Of The North.”
Each turbine is 10.6m (32ft) tall and can provide enough power to sustain four households per year.
Tesco was unable to provide the exact cost of the WindRotors.
A spokesman for the supermarket said investing in wind turbines was part of the company’s plan to reduce energy use and money for the machines would come from its Sustainable Technology Fund.
“If we get the go-ahead the turbines, which are inaudible and very efficient, will help meet the energy needs and lower the carbon footprint of the store,” he said.
“So we hope customers are as excited about this as we are and hope it demonstrates in a clear way our commitment to tackling climate change.”
But there was little excitement at Warndon Parish Council’s meeting, where members questioned how effective the WindRotors would be.
Mr Holloway read out a letter written by the Mayor of Worcester, Councillor Lucy Hodgson, which said: “Worcester as a city has a lower than average wind speed at less than 5.4 metres per second and a number of applications for wind turbines within the city have been withdrawn.”
It went on to state fears about the impact the turbines would have on nearby homes and a nature reserve.
The letter ended by suggesting the company installed solar panels on the supermarket’s south facing roof instead.
The parish council agreed to raise their concerns in a letter to Tesco’s consultancy firm.
The Tesco spokesman declined to comment about the issues raised by the parish council, saying he would wait for it to make its representations.
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