CAMPAIGNERS are claiming freshly-planted ash trees in a city park could be ripped up to make way for a giant wind turbine.

Oxford City Council wants to put one turbine in Horspath and the other in Cutteslowe Park, making it the first local authority in England and Wales to generate wind energy on its own land.

The 2.5 megawatt turbines – measuring a maximum of 130m to the blade tip – would each generate enough electricity to power 1,200 homes.

But Friends of Cutteslowe Park chairman Graham Jones said the site in the area was woodland and questioned if it was the right place.

Mr Jones said: “The land allocated for the turbine is on the south-east corner of the park, north of the A40, but it is community woodland where at least 500 ash trees have just been planted.

“If the turbine goes ahead, then some of those trees might have to come up, and although our committee has not yet taken a formal view on this proposal, we do wonder if there might be a more viable site elsewhere.

“Visitors to the park have already said how much they like the community woodland area and would be sorry if some trees had to be removed.

“We remain to be convinced that this is the best use of land within the park.”

City council leaders are planning to move to the next stage of the deal with Partnership for Renewables, the Government-backed body running the turbines, by agreeing the terms of the lease for the land needed in Cuttleslowe Park.

If tests show the land is suitable for a monitoring mast, Partnership for Renewables will submit a planning application for that, and a second planning application for a permanent turbine.

Mr Jones said the Friends of Cutteslowe Park would meet on April 21 to decide formally on whether they were in favour of the turbine project or not.

John Thompson, a spokesman for environmental group The Forest of Oxford, said: “The 500 trees cost about £250 and it would be a shame if some of them had to be removed.

“The ash trees will be coppiced and used for firewood in five or six years’ time.

“You could not have a more sustainable form of energy than the ash trees we are already planting.”

The community woodland project is being sponsored by Blackwells Publishing and the Trust for the Oxford Environment.

Councillors on the city’s executive board are being recommended to approve the terms of the lease with Partnerships for Renewables, for the Cutteslowe Park project, at a meeting on Wednesday.

Members of the public have been consulted on plans for the Horspath turbine, but a planning application has not yet been submitted.

John Tanner, executive member for a cleaner, greener city, said: “I will be arguing that Cutteslowe Park is a big park and that we should go ahead.

“We are trying to stay in close contact with the friends of the park and I believe there would be room for a turbine with trees around it.

“I believe there is a lot of support in Cutteslowe for a turbine to produce electricity for local people.”

Jo Reeves, a spokesman for Partnerships for Renewables, said: “We are still at a very early stage of investigation in terms of where we would put the monitoring mast but we would put it where it does not harm the tree-planting.

“It collects data and has a minimal impact.”

l In 2007 the Co-op announced palns for an 85m-tall turbine on land off Botley Road, Oxford, but the organisation has not yet submitted a planning application.