ONE of the North-East's biggest visitor attractions is to lead the fight against plans for a wind farm in Northumberland. And the Duchess of Northumberland's Alnwick Garden will be backed by other tourism favourites, including the Chillingham Wild Cattle park and possibly Alnwick Castle - the home she shares with the Duke of Northumberland. ... "The garden is concerned that the sheer scale of the development may discourage visitors to the Alnwick area - these visitors freely express the pleasure they feel when enjoying the fantastic natural and historic landscapes of Northumberland together with the coastal area of natural beauty and the Northumberland National Park."

Residents of a Lancashire village have expressed anger after plans to build two huge wind turbines were recommended for approval by planners. ...residents fear the devices will decimate the area's population of pink-footed geese, destroy the landscape and affect people's health because of noise and the 'shadow flicker' caused by the blades. Residents sent 632 letters of objection and Pilling Parish Council, Garstang Town Council and the RSPB also objected.

Hundreds of giant pylons connecting the English border to the Welsh coast will be needed to link huge new wind farms to the National Grid, campaigners warned yesterday. ..."Developers can be given planning consent for the turbines without consideration of the power transmission element, which can also have a huge impact on the environment.

A plan to create England’s biggest windfarm would spoil a beautiful area of North Devon countryside, it was claimed at an inquiry yesterday.The plan is for 22 wind turbines each 360ft tall, which Exeter-based Devon Wind Power (DWP) wants to build at Fullabrook Down near Ilfracombe. Opponents say it would have an adverse impact on the landscape including parts of the North Devon coast that have been designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Yesterday was the opening day of a public inquiry into the application.

Plans to build five 126-metre wind turbines on Matlock Moor have been refused planning permission following a public inquiry into the scheme. Planning inspector Ruth MacKenzie ruled Derbyshire Wind Energy's proposals would cause 'unacceptable harm' to the local landscape and wildlife.

England's nationally protected landscapes are under the greatest threat from development in their history, a report claimed yesterday. National parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), both set up by previous Labour governments, are the victims of an assault on the rules under the eye of the present one, says the report by the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE). Such "jewels in the crown" as the Lake District, Peak District and Northumberland national parks, the Lincolnshire Wolds, Kent Downs and Dorset areas of outstanding natural beauty are all on a threat list drawn up by campaigners.

A CONSERVATION charity has claimed that Highland Council's renewable energy strategy could harm the area's landscape.

Angry residents have slammed a Scottish Government decision to overrule councillors and a decision to refuse a wind turbine development in a Lothian beauty spot. A proposal to build two 70-metre high turbines at Ferneylea Farm was rejected by East Lothian Council in March over fears it would harm the landscape.

The idea of an energy efficient design is laudable. However, in this case, a countryside location is totally inappropriate and would be contrary to the locational policies of the development plan. "Notwithstanding the distinctive merits of the scheme, sustainability objectives would be best served by locating the development in an existing service centre. "This would be a better way of reducing the need to travel by placing the housing and employment closer to key services and amenities, as well as near to a labour pool. The countryside would also be protected from unrelated development."

Steven Turnbull, policy officer for JMT, said: "The impacts of the wind farm on the landscape would be significant and completely inappropriate for an area of wild land. "Even though the applicant has acknowledged these impacts, they've offered little evidence to support their decision to proceed regardless."

Damaging wind farms that unleash carbon dioxide from the soil are being permitted in Scotland because no government body is equipped to advise on the impact of building on peatland, The Scotsman has learned. ...In what the Shetland Council staff member, Hannah Nelson, then described to colleagues in an e-mail as a "surprising response", Mr Liddell added: "Given that government (and also government planning) policy is in favour of wind and other renewables, I wouldn't encourage you to query the carbon benefits of wind farms."

A group of rural champions has vowed to continue the fight against what they call the "vandalism" of Craven's landscape. The Craven branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) says it is committed to helping protest groups battle against "inappropriate" wind farms and "speculative" housing developments in sensitive areas.