Ed FossA planning application for a 70 metre high wind monitoring mast on land at former RAF Coltishall has been submitted for consideration to North Norfolk District Council.Ed Foss

A planning application for a 70 metre high wind monitoring mast on land at former RAF Coltishall has been submitted for consideration to North Norfolk District Council.

The meteorological mast, often called a 'met' mast, measures wind speeds to assess the suitability of a site for a wind turbine.

As reported previously in the EDP, officials behind the Ministry of Justice prison HMP Bure which has been built on part of the old airbase have been looking at the possibility of a wind turbine on the site.

The prospect of renewable energy provided by the turbine was part of a condition imposed by the district council when the prison was given planning permission.

But the turbine could prove a serious problem for a recently revealed plan on the remainder of the old airbase, which could see an airliner decommissioning project pump millions of pounds and hundreds of jobs into the local economy.

The met mast planning application has been prepared by SgurrEnergy in Glasgow on behalf of Partnerships for Renewables.

If permission was to be granted and the mast put in place, it would be to the south east part of the site, just north of Colk's Farm.

It would be in place for a maximum of three years.

HMP Bure takes up around 30 acres of the old airbase, with around 600 acres remaining. The TAG Aviation (Stansted) decommissioning project would take up the entire remainder of the site if it were to go ahead.