Fears expressed by the sole private objector to the scheme that house prices would be hit were dismissed by a long-established local estate agent.

Everyone interviewed by the local newspaper the Eastern Morning Press was said to echo the consistent backing given ever since the plan for eight turbines at North Pickenham - which would be the largest onshore windfarm in East Anglia - first became public knowledge last December.

Their reaction mirrors the support shown by councillors at neighbouring Swaffham, who asked green energy company Ecotricity to build the town's second generator.

At the popular Blue Lion pub, Jay Mutti, 42, of Whiteoaks in the village, supped a pint of beer and said: “I think these turbines are fine. They are a really good idea - it's progress in the right way.”

Licensee Clifford Hunter said: “The general impression here is that the project is a very good one. I think people realise that wind turbines are much better than a huge, ugly power station.”

Beverley Sirrell, of Whiteoaks, said: “A lot of people say they would rather have the turbines than anything else. I can see the radio mast from my home and it doesn't bother me at all.”

Ronald Eglen, of Latimer Way, broke off from painting a neighbour's fence to say: “I think this idea is a very good one.”

Alan Cox, 56, also of Latimer Way, said: “It is important that we move with the times. The airfield is out of the way, anyway, and there is no way these turbines will harm the village. They are the way towards the future.”

The only local person to object publicly to the scheme was Peter Gillett, who said the windfarm would affect house prices and was concerned about noise and shadow flicker.

But estate agent Ian Revell, with a long-established office in Swaffham, said: “My experience has been that the turbines in Swaffham have had no impact at all on house prices. In fact, some people like to see them.

“People I have shown round properties in very close proximity to the turbine here have been very positive about them. I have just sold two properties in St Guthlac Close, where the turbine is almost in their back gardens.

“People like the turbine and I can remember on one occasion a woman phoning in complaining that she could not see it.”

Other local estate agents confirmed that the only impact the turbines might have on house prices was to increase them - because the green energy schemes put the area on the map.