Protesters picketed a power company promoting its plan to build six wind turbines at Sempringham Fen this week. Members of AGAST (Action Group Against Sempringham Turbines) outlined their opposition to a wind farm outside Billingborough and Pointon village halls where Scottish Power Renewables held information days on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The eight-day hearing at Matlock Town Hall comes after the application for the wind farm in Carsington was turned down by Derbyshire Dales District council last year. The hearing began with statements from West Coast Energy, the district council and Carsington Parish Council. Jeremy Pike, speaking on behalf of the developers, said: "The proposed development would make a significant contribution to the Government's renewables targets.

The company behind plans for a controversial wind farm which was turned down by councillors has said it may appeal against the decision. Npower Renewables had applied to build five 410-feet turbines and a substation on rural land at Earls Hall Farm near Clacton. Tendring District Council's officers had recommended the proposal be given the go-ahead, saying it would not have any significant environmental impacts. But last week the council's planning committee unanimously rejected the scheme which would provide power for between 5,000 and 6,000 homes.

Opponents of the building of the district's first wind farm have welcomed news that Vale Royal Borough Council has pledged money to fight it. At a meeting on June 12, executive group councillors agreed to a proposal to spend £60,000 to support their case to refuse planning for the wind farm at Aston Grange when it goes to a public inquiry. Tegni Cymru lodged an appeal against the council's decision to refuse them planning in August 2007. A public inquiry will be held to determine the future of the project on August 19, and will last for six days.

A controversial wind farm on the Essex coast is set to be given the go-ahead despite vociferous objections from people living in the surrounding area. Npower Renewables has applied to build five 410-feet turbines and a substation on rural land at Earls Hall Farm near Clacton-on-Sea. ...Council officers say the project should be given permission unless there is evidence to show it will harm the local environment through issues including noise and visual impact.

The Scottish Government has set a target to produce 31 per cent of electricity demand from renewable sources by 2011, and 50 per cent by 2020. Any proposal to construct, extend or operate an onshore wind farm in Scotland with a generation capacity in excess of 50 Megawatts (MW) requires the consent of Scottish Ministers under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. The Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit is currently processing 37 renewable project applications - 28 wind farms, eight hydro projects and one wave project.

City councillors voted last September to reject an application by Banks Developments for permission to put up a 60-metre 'monitoring mast' on green belt land at Hook Moor, near Micklefield. Durham-based Banks subsequently lodged an appeal against that decision with the Government's Planning Inspectorate. And today it emerged that the Inspectorate has allowed the appeal - despite expressing concerns that the mast could harm the "character and appearance of the rural landscape". The planning inspector dealing with the case ruled that the potential environmental benefits of the scheme "clearly outweighed" the impact it might have on the landscape.

Plans for a wind farm at the headquarters of car maker Lotus have been thrown out by a committee. Green energy company Ecotricity had resubmitted proposals to build three 120m-high wind turbines at Lotus' Hethel headquarters near Wymondham. Despite the plans being recommended for approval by planning officers, councillors voted five to three in favour of refusing the controversial application.

Some of the protesters who attended the meeting to oppose the new turbine Safety fears have been raised over plans to build a 400ft wind turbine next to a quiet residential area. Concerned residents packed a meeting yesterday to discuss the proposals to put the £2million turbine at Princes Soft Drinks factory in Weaverthorpe Road, Tong, Bradford. It has been hailed as a 21st century landmark for the city and a way of dramatically cutting carbon emissions from one of the district's major businesses. But organisers of the meeting, at Tong Conservative Club yesterday, claim residents could be put in danger if the turbine is allowed.

Controversial proposals are being drawn up to place a wind farm outside an historic South Lakeland village. The 80m height of the proposed wind turbines, nearing that of Big Ben, means they would also be seen from the neighbouring villages of Haverthwaite, Cark, Greenodd and Backbarrow and from as far away as Grange, Ulverston and Coniston. Opposition to the plans, which are expected to be submitted for planning approval next spring, is beginning to gain momentum, as news of the scheme filters through to residents. ..."This country has spent thousands removing pylons that scarred our landscape and putting the cables underground. "Why haven't we learned from that mistake?"

The British government opened a major new phase on Wednesday in its drive for renewable energy, calling for bids to build up to 25 gigawatts of offshore wind turbines, triple the amount already in the pipeline, by 2020. The announcement by the Crown Estate, which manages all property owned by the monarch including the seabed around Britain, was welcomed by British Wind Energy Association chairman Adam Bruce as "impressively bold." Under rounds one and two of offshore renewable power generation leasing program a total of eight gigawatts of wind turbines are under development.

A controversial wind farm plan for Purbeck is seeing the number of turbines in the scheme slashed from the originally proposed six down to just three. This was revealed by the district council's planning officer Alan Davies at the monthly meeting of the planning board. He told councillors there was a considerable amount of work to be done before the scheme was brought before them with any recommendation from the planners. He added: "We have had a letter in the last few days from the applicants wishing to reduce the number of turbines down to three."

Anxious protestors attended an exhibition of a planned wind farm near Cumwhinton. The Newlands Windfarm exhibition - held in the village hall - was put on by Bolsterstone plc and featured designs for three turbines. The turbines could be up to 115ft tall and residents are concerned about the effect on the surroundings. Alison Stamper, who is organising an action group, has lived in the village for 30 years. If the turbines are given the go-ahead they will be a few hundred feet from her home.

It is a rare lunar spectacle whose significance dates back to ancient times, drawing visitors to the Isle of Lewis from across the world. But now the druids, pagans and witches who gather at the Callanish Stones fear the next time they visit their treasured view of the Moon could be ruined by a 53-turbine wind farm. ...Beinn Mhor Power plans to build turbines on the Eisgein Estate in Lewis, some of them on the Old Woman of the Moors. One would be built on a lump that looks like her knee, and others would be on the skyline. Archeologist Ian McHardy said the lunar phenomenon is mentioned in the Historic Scotland guidebook for the area. "I think it's an integral part of Callanish and should have been afforded higher protection. The wind turbines would be a significant part of the view."

A petition bearing the names of 500 residents opposed to plans to site a wind farm between Swinford and Walcote has been handed to Harborough District Council. Campaigners from the Stop the Swinford Wind Farm Action Group (SSWFAG), spent a number of weeks gathering the names and addresses of people opposed to the plans. They handed the petition to the planning department at the district council on the last official date of public consultation on the proposals. Renewable energy firm Nuon UK are seeking 11 wind turbines, each 125m tall.

Hempnall Parish Council has recommended for refusal plans to build a seven turbine windfarm in the village. The unanimous decision was made at the parish council's meeting on Wednesday, on the grounds of visual intrusion, noise and cumulative effect. "We feel it would blight our beautiful countryside," said parish chairman Geoff Moulton. "We were also worried about the cumulative effect, when you look at the number of wind farm applications on the table at the moment."

A community has been told that it is in line for a £375,000 windfall if a windfarm which developers want to site on its doorstep, gets the go-ahead. Bolsterstone Plc says it will submit a planning application in June to put up three wind turbines at Cumwhinton. If Carlisle City Council grants permission, a community fund would be set up - giving £15,000 a year for its 25-year lifespan.

Despite more than 370 letters of objection and a refusal by the council's planning committee, a Scottish Government Reporter has upheld an appeal lodged by energy company Airtricity, and granted permission for 10 wind turbines. Scottish Borders Council's voted last July to reject the application - proposed on land located past Blawearie, above Whitslade - on the grounds that it would have an unacceptable impact on the landscape. Although this was a decision which backed a local campaign, it opposed planning officers' original recommendations and led to a public enquiry at Selkirk Rugby Club. But after studying all the submissions, the Reporter has finally ruled that the development can go ahead.

Parish councillors are calling on district planners to refuse a controversial application by green power company Enertrag UK to build a wind farm at Hempnall. The Diss-based firm is seeking consent to site seven 125m high turbines on land at Bussey's Loke, in the south Norfolk village near Norwich, to supply renewable energy for the National Grid. But the scheme has sparked fierce opposition from local residents who claim the development would create a huge visual impact on Hempnall and surrounding villages, and have set up campaign group Showt (Stop Hempnall's Onshore Wind Turbines).

The wind farm, proposed for the former Parham Airfield, near Framlingham, was granted planning permission more than two years ago - subject to conditions being met. However, earlier this year opponents of the scheme obtained a High Court judgement that conditions had not been fully met - because Suffolk Coastal District Council failed to consult over a proposed change in turbine design. The council consequently launched a new consultation over two alternative designs put forward by developer, Your Energy. A report to the development control on May 28 recommends that both designs be approved. The recommendation is partly based on assessments of potential environmental impact.