A GROUNDBREAKING energy-saving scheme means 12 homes will soon be powered by the wind.

The homes, on the Sanford estate, New Cross, are getting their very own wind turbines to power everything from their lighting to their television sets.

The scheme, believed to be the first of its kind in an urban residential setting, will reduce carbon emissions from the houses by 60 per cent.

The Sanford estate was built in 1971, is co-operative run and largely funded by its 150 residents.

Lewisham Council has already given planning permission for the 1.75m-diameter turbines, to be attached to the side of the buildings.

The turbines, which cost around £1,500 each, will save around 5kg of CO2 from being produced every hour enough to fill nearly 60,000 balloons a week.

They are being funded by the council and a £100,000 grant from the Energy Saving Trust.

A larger turbine is also being planned next to the railway line in New Cross to generate 6kw of electricity an hour.

Resident Mark Roper, 36, has welcomed the move towards renewable energy.

He said: "I think this is a really great idea.

"We have modelled the whole co-operative on the idea we should be self-sufficient and this is just another example of that.

"In this day and age, particularly with what is going on elsewhere in the world at the moment, we need to be more conservative with our energy use."

Lewisham Mayor Steve Bullock announced the plans at the Sustainability Energy Beacon conference at Lewisham Town Hall on Friday.

Mr Bullock said: "It is frightening when you consider the impact CO2 is having on our climate and the potentially-devastating consequences this will have on our environment.

"It is no good to sit around waiting for each other to do something or thinking we will worry about it in 20 years' time. We have to act now."