FURIOUS Burnham and Highbridge taxpayers have slammed a decision to spend thousands of pounds of public money fighting a wind farm appeal as "a desperate move".

A total of 40 members of Families For Clean Energy have reacted angrily to news an appeal over dismissed plans to build turbines at Edithmead will be fought with taxpayers' money.

The pressure group on Monday (February 12) slated Burnham and Highbridge Town Council's idea as "depressing" for agreeing to team up with Brent Knoll Parish Council to spend £4,000 on the fight.

Both councils are putting £2,000 into the pot to challenge green firm Ecotricity's appeal against the decision to refuse it permission to build turbines in the shadow of Brent Knoll.

But FORCE spokesman Jo Brown said members were upset with the way taxes were being spent - saying the majority did not want the wind farm appeal opposed.

"We strongly object to our money being used in this way. We see it as a desperate move which does not have the support of most local people," she said.

"Indeed polls have shown that a majority of locals are either not opposed to wind power or actively support it. The nimbys are very vociferous and manipulative but are only a minority."

Burnham and Highbridge Mayor Eric Gill hit back at the claims, pointing out the town council had opposed the plans originally and believed the majority of constituents were backing the authority.

"As a matter of principle we are not opposed to wind farms but I think this one is over the top," he said.

"I can understand FORCE's point of view. If we had been persuaded by the vast majority of our constituents that we were wrong it might be different, but that is just not the case."

You can see more on this story in this week's Weekly News.