Eyres Monsell Primary School is delighted Leicester City Council has approved its pioneering plan for a wind turbine, which will allow it to generate its own electricity.

Eyres Monsell developed this innovative idea through its work for EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme), run by Environ on behalf of Leicester City Council.

Head teacher Sally Morrison said: “It's fantastic that we have got planning permission for the wind turbine.

"This will be a really positive step for our school and the whole community. In contrast, our governors have recently agreed to turn down a tempting offer to enlarge a telephone mast on our site.

"Of course, the wind turbine will help us to cut electricity costs, but more importantly it will be an excellent tool for educating the next generation about the environment. "

Now Eyres Monsell has received planning permission for the wind turbine it hopes to install it by the end of the year.

This work will cost approximately £18,000, but the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) has already awarded a grant of £5,000 and further bids are underway.

The wind turbine could also help Eyres Monsell to generate more than 4,000 kWh of electricity per year, saving the school up to £300.

And it will stand at 11m high – only a few metres higher than the school itself and much lower than a phone mast already on the site.

The turbine will also be so quiet because it has no gearbox that the nearest residents, who live at least 100m from the proposed site, will not hear it.

Fortunately, a public consultation revealed more than 80 per cent of parents and local residents support the school's plan for a wind turbine.

Alison Farmer, whose seven-year-old son John attends Eyres Monsell, said: "I was a bit concerned because the only wind turbines I had ever seen before were massive.

"But I was reassured after seeing the mock-up photograph. This wind turbine is not nearly as big as I had imagined and I think it will be very educational for my son."

Eyres Monsell has recently achieved EMAS verification by showing how it manages a wide range of environmental impacts, such as energy, waste and water.

Installing the wind turbine will be an ideal way for the school to manage its energy use more efficiently.

Environ's EMAS work is supported by Leicester City council and the Leicester Partnership through the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

Thirteen schools in the city have recently achieved EMAS verification and another 32 will now be able to take part thanks to a further NRF grant of more than £200,000.

An image of how the proposed wind turbine would look at Eyres Monsell Primary School is supplied.

For further details or to arrange a photo opportunity call EMAS Co-ordinator Charlotte Lewis on 0116 222 1596/ 07890 399837.