A NEW site, as yet to be announced, is emerging as another option in the ongoing battle over proposals to erect wind turbines at Horage Farm on the outskirts of Lydney.

Cllr Derek Biddle told the Review this week that the alternative site was a strong contender. It would offer the option of easier access to the National Grid which was one of the problems associated with the Horage Farm proposal.

Cllr Biddle was commenting on a statement from the protest group Lydney and West Dean Communities against the Horage Farm Turbines, members of which had attended the annual meeting of the Lydney Area in Partnership.

The protest group described the Partnership meeting as having "collapsed in disarray."

Cllr Biddle was one of three Area in Partnership directors at the meeting which was chaired by former councillor Mr Bill Hobman.

Cllr Biddle said he disagreed there had been no public consultation and said there would be another opportunity at a Partnership meeting which could probably be held in November.

The turbines plan, he said, had over 100 supporters. Green Trust Wind, the consultants engaged by the Partnership, were studying reports and hoped to reach a conclusion on whether or not the site was viable by Christmas.

In a statement to the Review the protest group said eight of their members attended the Partnership's annual meeting having previously written to Cllr Biddle requesting he used the meeting to bring the project to an end.

They said the meeting failed to attract the 23 people required to make it a quorate.

The statement says: "There was frustration and disappointment that there was no proper discussion of the Horage Farm project. LAiP has yet again failed to listen to the views of local people. There has been no public consultation about the proposal and public funds continue to be wasted in pursuit of this ill conceived project. The fact that the meeting collapsed in disarray and without sufficent members attending reflects the lack of public engagement by LAiP."

Cllr Alan Preest, who attended the meeting, said he was shocked at the poor attendence and disappointed the Partnership directors were unable to answer questions about why they had chosen the Horrage Farm site and had taken the project as far as they had without public consultation or providing a business case.

He said: "I was very disappointed for the people of Lydney and West Dean who expected to get answers. I hope LAiP will put an end to this project. I don't believe LaiP has any public support and its continued role must be questioned. I am very concerned that at a crucial time for planning the future of Lydney LAiP seem seem obsessed with taking forward forward an unpopular wind turbine scheme. I will continue to press for answers."