The world’s largest offshore windfarm, the London Array, has been given the green light. The £2 billion, 175 turbine farm will be built on the Long Sand Head 12 miles off Essex.

It is claimed it will produce enough energy for 500,000 homes and be ready in time for the 2012 Olympics.

In all the New Labour government hopes that eventually 8,000 turbines will be erected around the British coastline to meet ambitious green energy targets of 34 per cent of UK power coming from carbon-free sources by 2020.