The turbines would be situated off the coast at Teesside

EDF Energy wants to build the 30 turbines 1.5km off the coast of Redcar, on Teesside, which it says would generate electricity for 72,000 homes.

But the Northern TUC said the wind farm would be too close to the shore, damaging the environment and the fishing industry.

But EDF said it had taken into account environmental factors in the area.

The Northern TUC comments follow a consultation into the wind farm proposal.

It said that while it supported plans to generate more electricity from renewable sources, it was concerned at the difficulty in achieving this.

Noise concern

It called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to reject the plans on the grounds that "no other offshore wind farm in the UK will be located less than 5km offshore".

Regional Secretary of the Northern TUC Kevin Rowan said: "The Northern TUC is not opposed to the notion of wind power.

"But the proposal to create the wind farm off the coast of Redcar will create more environmental problems than it will solve."

The East Redcar residents' association is also concerned about the farm's proximity to shipping lanes and the level of noise.

EDF Energy has said that all the concerns have been examined.

A spokesman said: "The consultation exercise has taken into account noise, shipping, any effects on marine life, and we have consulted with a number of organisations, including RSPB and English Nature."