HOPES of building Suffolk's tallest structure on the most easterly point in England have moved a step closer.Members of Suffolk County Council's development sub-committee have approved two planning applications for wind turbines, one of which will tower 100 metres above the skyline.

HOPES of building Suffolk's tallest structure on the most easterly point in England have moved a step closer.

Members of Suffolk County Council's development sub-committee have approved two planning applications for wind turbines, one of which will tower 100 metres above the skyline.

Both structures would be built on the North Beach Industrial Estate, Ness Point, Lowestoft.

The larger turbine has been proposed by Sea and Land Power Ltd and would have a blade diameter of 104 metres, supplying electricity to over 2,000 homes, while Next Generation would build a smaller turbine that could supply around 1,000 houses with power.

Members of the committee voted unanimously for both plans, saying that the massive turbine could become a national landmark for Lowestoft as well as supply the area with a clean source of power.

Councillor Jane Hore, whose Oulton Broad ward covers Lowestoft, told the meeting that she had received no complaints about the proposal.

She said: "The area which they would be has some quite intensive industrial use and is not near any houses.

"I have received absolutely no representations about the idea, either for or against, and I think this indicates that this area of Lowestoft does not figure deeply in the hearts of the people."

Councillor John Goldsmith praised the wind-powered project for offering electricity without the need to burn fossil fuels.

He said: "I always think it is daft to use one energy to make another, especially when it is not renewable."

Councillor Joanna Spicer added: "In general this is an application to be welcomed and should be supported. It is an excellent idea."

The planning application will now go before Waveney District Council later in the month for final approval.