4Villages, formed by residents in Dickleburgh, Pulham Market, Pulham St Mary and Rushall to oppose a wind turbine plant on the former Pulham airstation site between their villages, said it had been trying to meet with TCI Renewables for several weeks.

Spokesman for 4Villages, Lucy Melrose, said: "They insisted there was nothing to discuss since there were no firm plans and – under pressure from us – said they'd come back to us about a meeting in the next few weeks.

"We now discover that, while they were fobbing us off, they were preparing a scoping document to submit to South Norfolk Council, hiring a PR company to present their case and producing a publicity pack with which to flood the area."

The reaction from 4Villages follows an announcement by the Oxford-based company that it has commissioned initial studies to establish the potential for three 80-metre wind turbines at Upper Vaunces Farm, in Semere Lane.

On November 17, it submitted a request for a scoping opinion to South Norfolk Council on its proposals and on the same day distributed nearly 4,000 newsletters, containing a comment card inviting feedback, to homes in the immediate area. It also plans to launch a website.

TCI Renewables development manager Gavin Clark said: "While detailed environmental studies have yet to be carried out, our initial judgement is that the site meets many of the criteria we look for in a small wind farm. It has a good wind speed, is a suitable distance from nearby homes, is not in a designated landscape area and has good access for construction traffic."

He said the company was keen to give local people an early opportunity to comment.

However, Mrs Melrose said: "The turbines will be right in the middle of four villages – there is no way the separation distance from where people live will be acceptable."

She said South Norfolk's Council's own Landscape Sensitivity Study also made it clear the area was not considered appropriate for a development of this scale.

A previous windfarm application by another company, SLP Energy, was withdrawn earlier this year following a two-year consultation process, because it did not consider the site suitable for windfarm development.

Details of TCI Renewables' scoping opinion application can be found at www.south-norfolk.gov.uk, planning application number 2008/2247. The deadline for response by the public and interested parties has been extended from December 22 to January 19.

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