OBJECTORS to plans for a windfarm on the mountains overlooking Abertillery and Blaina are stepping up their campaign.

Residents say that the proposed windfarm - planned by Pennant Wind Energy Farms - would blight the landscape and be detrimental to local wildlife.

A spokesman for Blaenau Gwent council, which is to consider the plans for the windfarm, say it is not yet known when the proposals will be presented to the planning committee for a decision. But Cwmtillery councillor Mark Holland, who is involved in the campaign against the windfarm, says he expects it to be before April.

And he is encouraging people from all over Blaenau Gwent to become involved in the protest.

Councillor Holland said yesterday that he hopes about 1,000 people will turn up at the council meeting when the windfarm is finally discussed.

"If they are successful it could snowball and set a precedent. Blaenau Gwent could be singled out for these windfarms," he said.

"We are hopeful that the more people turn up it will help us to win.

"We cannot afford to get complacent."

He added that if the council turned down the proposals and the company appealed to the Assembly, protesters were prepared to head to Cardiff to object as well.

He added that Blaenau Gwent's prospective parliamentary candidate Maggie Jones had given the campaigners a lot of support.

A public meeting has now been called to plan the campaign's next steps.

This will be held at St Peter's Church in Aber-tillery on February 24.

A spokesman for Pennant Wind Energy Farms said: "Wales is committed to developing renewable energy and the pace of climate change seems to underline the fact that we need to take action.

"We accept that some people seem to dislike the look of windfarms but it is a subjective matter.