CITY council planners are demanding more information about the environmental impact of a wind turbine test mast - following concerns over views of the 'dreaming spires'.

Midcounties Co-operative, based in Botley Road, Oxford, will submit a photo-montage of what the 55m test mast will look like in a bid to allay fears that it will ruin views of the city's skyline.

It follows a request from Oxford City Council for the planning application to be withdrawn - and re-submitted with more detailed information on how the mast would impact the landscape.

theoxfordtimes.net asked the Co-op to show readers the photo-montage but managers want council planners to see it first.

John Mathias, energy and environment manager for Midcounties Co-operative, said the initial structure would consist of a thin mast with a wind speed monitor on top.

He said the company was compiling the information requested by city planners and he was hopeful the application would be decided within the next month.

He said: "We have had a photo-montage done. It's basically an accurate photo of the mast as viewed from the A420.

"We have used accurate landscape data in terms of topography and superimposed the test mast."

The Co-op wants to site the 55m test mast near its headquarters in Botley Road to monitor wind speeds.

The long-term plan is to build a 60m turbine, with 25m blades, on the same site, to provide electricity for the company's Botley Road offices and its shop in the West Way shopping centre.

Mr Mathias said the test mast was relatively simple to erect and, if planning permission was granted, it would take around a week to put up.

The test mast would act as a viability study for a full scale wind turbine on the same site.

He added: "We are not going to put a turbine up if the wind speed is not suitable.

"We need data over a 12-month period to calculate how effective a turbine would be.

"If that assessment is favourable we would go ahead with an application for a wind turbine."

A spokesman for Oxford City Council said: "We had asked the Co-op to withdraw the planning application as it had lacked certain important information.

"This information had included a landscape assessment which looked at how the character of the landscape would be affected by the wind monitoring mast.

"We understand that they are intending to submit further information and when it arrives we will see whether we can determine the planning application."

Following July's flooding, objections were raised about the planned mast as it would be within the flood plain.

But the Co-op vowed to push ahead with the plan, stating the proposed mast would not affect flooding and a turbine could even be used to power pumps during future floods.