The winds of change are gusting across Cranford and could soon be helping to provide power for one eco-friendly secondary school.

In a first for Hounslow, Cranford Community College has applied for permission to install two 15m tall wind turbines in a school field in a bid to cut their power bills and help the environment.

The scheme is set to cost £50,000.

Julie Spiller, senior laboratory technician for the college's science department and mastermind behind the scheme, said: "With all the talk at the moment about global climate change, it seemed like a good time to try to get something going.

"It will be an educational tool to show how we can reduce our carbon footprints."

The turbines would be connected to the National Grid "but there is no way they would supply enough electricity for the whole school," Mrs Spiller said. But, she added, "at times when the school might be closed and it's very windy, we would be generating more electricity than is needed and we could put power back to the grid".

Setting up the turbines would help give pupils a great practical lesson in sustainable energy, Mrs Spiller added.

The machines would be connected to college computers.

The college will find out in October whether the scheme will be approved.

Mrs Spiller felt confident planning permission for the scheme would be granted, despite the school being situated on Metropolitan Green Belt land.

Concerns were raised in a Hounslow Council report that turbine noise could disturb nearby residents but, during a survey, no complaints were registered.

Around £25,000 of funding has been granted to the school from the Government's low carbon building' programme but teachers are still speaking to other organisations to find more cash.

Creative Environmental Networks, an organisation specialising in sustainable energy schemes, is also providing help. Earlier this year, the college was granted permission to install a solar-powered fountain.

p For all the breaking news go to yourlocalguardian.co.uk

9:27am Friday 29th September 2006

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