Energy company E.ON has welcomed the findings of an independent study of the site of a proposed wind farm in Northamptonshire which found no link to the English Civil War battlefield almost two miles away at Naseby.

E.ON is developing the wind farm on behalf of the Kelmarsh Trust and commissioned the Battlefields Trust survey to see whether the proposed site held any archaeological relevance to the Battle of Naseby in 1645.

Metal detection work was carried out by a team of experts from the Battlefields Trust on an area of 26 hectares on the western edge of the proposed wind farm site.

Daniel Badcock, Project Developer for E.ON, said: "We pride ourselves on being a responsible developer and it's extremely important we take every step to understand the site and minimise any impact we might have.

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"This is just one of a number of historical and environmental studies we are carrying out before submitting a planning application and I'm delighted the study found no archaeology which was relevant to the Naseby battlefield.

"We commissioned the Battlefield Trust to carry out the study and their report states clearly that no combat action took place in the area of the wind farm."

Peter Burley, National Co-ordinator of the Battlefields Trust, said: "The Trust thanks E.ON for the conscientious approach it has taken to the heritage implications of their proposed development and welcomes the study's finding that no battlefield archaeology relevant to Naseby will be compromised.

"The Trust will now await the submission of the full planning application for the site to evaluate the impact on the skyline and the appreciation and interpretation of the battlefield of Naseby in its wider context."

E.ON was selected by the Kelmarsh Trust to develop a wind farm on the Kelmarsh Estate. The seven turbines, each up to 126.5m to the tip of the blade, will generate up to 17.5MW of renewable energy, enough to power up to 7,800 homes and save up to 15,800 tonnes of CO2 per year.

The wind farm will provide a community fund of about £28,000 per year for the life of the project and will generate local job opportunities during construction and installation - subject to the usual tendering process.

(CD/JM)