Plans for up to 22 windmills at Heckington Fen in Lincolnshire have been approved by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.

Ecotricity, has spent four years of research, planning and consultation to gain approval for their largest wind park to date, which will produce enough green electricity each year to power almost 40,000 homes.

With a generating capacity above 66MW, the proposal is considered to be infrastructure of national importance, with such planning applications determined by central government under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.

Ecotricity founder Dale Vince said: "Heckington Fen is a superb location for a wind park, probably the best we've ever seen.

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"The planning department from North Kesteven District Council recommended the application for approval and we had no objections from any of the statutory consultee's such as English Heritage, RSPB or Natural England. That's quite rare and a sign of what a strong project this is.

"Heck Fen will make a significant contribution to Britain's energy supply, powering the equivalent of almost 40,000 homes for the next 25 years and will reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels, which are the primary source of the Britain's carbon emissions.

"Harnessing Britain's wind energy is the only way that we, as a nation, can break the cycle of endlessly increasing energy bills – where price rises are driven by the global energy markets.

"It need not be this way, Britain has enough of its own renewable energy sources, the wind, the sun and the sea, to become energy independent once more.

"We're grateful to the Secretary of State for his decision in the face of considerable political hot air right now on the subject of windmills, and we'd also like to thank the many people in the local community that wrote letters of support for the project."

(CD/GK)