A WIND speed-measuring mast, which has been taking readings in preparation for a four-turbine wind farm in Purbeck, has been decommissioned after three years.

The mast had been recording data for the £14m Alaska Wind Farm, at Masters Quarry, East Stoke.

After a highly-charged public meeting, in November, Purbeck district planning chiefs said they were “minded to grant planning consent” for the four-turbine farm, subject to appropriate conditions.

Green energy company Infinergy still needs to meet these strict conditions, relating to the noise output of each 125-metre turbine, but the firm’s chief executive Charles Sandham is hopeful the project will soon be moving forward.

He said: “Should Purbeck councillors give the final go ahead for Alaska Wind Farm in March, the next phase of development can go ahead in full swing.

“The met mast has provided us with enough site specific data to start the project financing stage.”

At November’s Wareham meeting hundreds of people packed out the Purbeck School’s main hall to make their representations to the planning board.

These included speakers from anti-wind farm groups, pro-wind farm environmentalists and members of the public.

The project has seen particularly strong opposition from Dorset’s Campaign to Protect Rural England group and Dart, Dorset Against Rural Turbines.

An Infinergy spokesman said: “The latest data will be validated and correlated with long term data sources by an independent wind consultant to verify that the wind speeds ascertained on site are not skewed towards short term wind variation. This step is essential for gaining project finance and preparing for project construction.”