YOU cannot compare the Blackpool wind farm to the one proposed for Poole Bay.

That’s the message from the campaign group Challenge Navitus, which is fighting the planned wind farm, known as ‘Navitus Bay’.

The group produced videos showing how the Blackpool scheme, the biggest yet operating in the UK, would look if put in the same location in Poole Bay, compared to the Navitus scheme.

Group spokesman David Lloyd from Swanage said: “The Blackpool windfarm has been used to try and reassure people that the windfarm won’t affect views and popularity of the place.

“We have simply produced these comparisons to clarify the argument. The Navitus scheme is significantly bigger and there will be a substantially bigger visual impact.”

The three sites off Blackpool have 132 turbines up to 150 metres tall. At the closest point they are 22 miles from Blackpool.

Challenge Navitus Bay said it used conservative estimates of the Dorset scheme in its images, with around 170 turbines at 189 metres high. The scheme would be 10 miles from Bournemouth and Poole.

Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood has visited the Blackpool scheme and said councillors told him there were no complaints.

However has criticised the lack of information over Navitus. Dorset South MP Richard Drax has said the scheme will “blight” the landscape.

Mike Unsworth, Project Director of Navitus Bay, said: “We have not yet reviewed Challenge Navitus’ latest animations so are unable to comment.

“However, we continue to develop photomontages as part of our on-going impact assessment process based on a range of turbine sizes and quantities.

“Additionally, we have commissioned an independent expert to produce a 3D fly-through model.

“These will be available at our next round of public exhibitions in November and will hopefully go some way to reassure the local community that minimising potential visual impact is something that we are working very hard to address.”

He said there was no evidence to support the claim that wind turbines drive away tourism.