Kerry County Council says this month's record rainfall is at least partly to blame for the slide, which occurred during construction work on a roadway to an electricity wind farm. Large volumes of peat have so far travelled over 3km, sweeping away a bridge and preventing some residents from accessing their homes.

The Ministry of Defence has finally withdrawn its objections to two major wind farms following the intervention of Gordon Brown. For years the MoD has fought the creation of two large wind farms off the coast of Northumberland and Norfolk because of fears of radar interference. It emerged last year that nearly half of all proposed wind farms were stuck in the planning process because of objections from the MoD, which has many RAF bases on the east coast of Britain. This meant that the Government had no chance of achieving its target of producing 20% of the country's total energy from renewable resources by 2020.

Plans for a major wind farm in Northumberland were approved by the Government yesterday. npower renewables' proposal to erect 18 turbines, 125m high, at Middlemoor, North Charlton, near Alnwick, was given the go-ahead by Energy Secretary John Hutton. But the wind farm cannot be erected until the energy giant comes up with a way to make sure the turbines do not affect RAF radar systems.

Two new wind farm planning approvals dependent on developers and MoD agreeing way of minimising radar disruption ...approvals are conditional on technical solutions being developed that mitigate the effects of the turbines on the Air Defence Radar at RAF Brizlee Wood and Trimmingham respectively. The government said that both the business and defence ministers must be satisfied the impacts on these air defence radar are acceptable for the projects to proceed.

Repairs have started to a giant wind turbine between Sheffield and Rotherham after it was knocked out by a gale. A crack was spotted in the blades of one of two turbines yards from the Sheffield Parkway during high winds last month. A special failsafe device cut in to prevent further damage - and the crippled blades were allowed to fall to the ground. Since then, investigations have been going on into the damage at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, where the University of Sheffield operate the two turbines.

Earlier in the inquiry the MoD said the proposed 100m-high turbines could interfere with radars, which were vital in guiding aircraft and identifying threats. ...However, on the day when final submissions were heard, the Ministry withdrew its opposition to the plans. It accepted an offer of mitigation by RidgeWind to provide coverage through a non-military radar. The MoD withdrew its objection on the condition that: "Ridgewind meets the capital costs" of implementing the system.

National security, not renewable energy, will win the day in a battle being fought over two pending wind farm applications, the Gazette has been told. A decision from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is looming on 18 turbines proposed by npower renewables at Middlemoor, which was subject to a public inquiry last November. And a further hearing is about to launch into more at neighbouring Wandylaw ...But according to a well-placed source, both are doomed to certain failure because of Ministry of Defence (MoD) concerns over the effect of the turbines on both early warning radar systems and low-flying fast jets.

Aviation experts are set to clash over the impact a proposed wind farm at Routh, near Beverley, could have on radar installations. Twelve huge turbines could endanger aircraft flying over the region, a public inquiry into the controversial development will hear on Tuesday. Wind farm business RidgeWind Ltd is appealing against East Riding Council's refusal to allow the development at Hall Farm in Routh.

A farmer has described the shocking moment a 16-foot wind turbine blade smashed through the roof of his home as his family slept inside. "It was like a bomb hitting the roof of the house. It shattered the tiles and the blade disintegrated itself," David Campbell told the Belfast Telegraph. The turbine was one of a batch of 11 defective machines installed on farms in Northern Ireland with the help of European funding provided by the Department of Agriculture. All 11 of the Chinese-built turbines, sourced from the same supplier, have broken down but the farmers have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket and they complain that no-one is doing anything to help.

Energy companies and the Ministry of Defence have agreed a deal to jointly fund costly radar equipment upgrades, breaking an impasse that threatened to stop several major offshore wind projects in their tracks and blow the Government's highly ambitious renewable energy goals off course. The framework agreement will be unveiled "imminently", according to sources close to the situation. Forged after energy executives infuriated by several MoD objections took their case directly to the Prime Minister ... It is understood that the sides reached the agreement after Gordon Brown stepped in. His administration has made green energy a centrepiece issue.

The lives of young pilots based in Shropshire could be put at risk if controversial plans to build a wind farm get the go ahead, north Shropshire's MP has warned. Owen Paterson MP has written to defence secretary Des Browne calling on him to support objections to the proposed wind farm at Norton-in-Hales, near Market Drayton. In his letter, Mr Paterson expresses concern that the lives of young pilots based at RAF Shawbury could be put at risk by "unnecessary extra dangers" on what is already a demanding course.

Villagers opposing a wind farm near their homes today expressed fears over air traffic safety. Residents of Hilton village near Yarm believe the turbines could cause problems for aircraft flying in and out of Durham Tees Valley and RAF Leeming. ...The Government's policy statement on renewable energy with regard to air safeguarding states: "Any large structure is likely to show up on radar, but wind turbines can present a particular problem as they can be interpreted as a moving object, which is only intermittently seen."

West Norfolk planners yesterday turned down plans for a wind turbine at Lynn's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. ...Cllr Bill Daws felt there had been insufficient liaison with the Ministry of Defence and the Air Ambulance before the application was submitted. He also felt the site was too close to the busy Al49. He added: "You have got a 240-feet-high thing sticking out of the ground with a helicopter buzzing around. I don't think that's safe." Fears about the effect of noise on hospital staff and patients were raised by Cllr Roy Groom, who was also concerned about what would happen if the hospital relocated and homes were built on the site.

Military and air ambulance objections could outweigh the green energy advantages of a proposed wind turbine at Lynn's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The turbine could save the hospital £20,000 a year on its electricity bill but there are fears it would interfere with radar equipment at RAF Marham and endanger landings on the helipad paid for by Lynn News readers. ...Defence Estates, part of the MoD, said: "Following trials in 2005, it was concluded that wind turbines can affect the detection of aircraft flying over or in the vicinity of wind turbines." The RAF could be unable to provide a full air traffic radar service in the area of the wind turbine.

Airport bosses are to demand the Government introduces stricter planning rules which would force wind farm developers to consider radar concerns when applying to build turbines. Newcastle Airport is in consultation with Government officers in an attempt to end the costly legal battles which could threaten the airport's expansion. With more than £400m a year brought into the North East economy through the airport, staff believe the time has come for developers to consider the wider impact of their airspace- restricting turbines. Aviation groups are currently fighting a legal battle against three energy companies which want to build 59 turbines north of Hexham.

Planners who approved the building of seven massive new wind turbines on the Northumberland coastline may be forced to re-consider the decision after their council failed to follow the correct procedures. The proposed turbines at Blyth Harbour - six of them 125 metres high and the seventh the tallest land-based turbine in Europe at 163m - were given the green light by Wansbeck councillors two months ago, despite strong opposition from Newcastle Airport. Airport bosses say the giant structures could cause interference on air traffic control radar screens and pose a potential threat to aircraft safety.

Touted as a viable alternative to coal, gas and nuclear, the bid to cover the UK in wind turbines is now facing mounting opposition. Not only are they under attack from their neighbours, airports, and tourist attractions they are also coming under fire from the military. The Ministry of Defence has already opposed at least four wind farms in Northumberland, saying they make it impossible to detect aircraft flying overhead. Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the chief of the defence staff, insists the UK's radar capabilities must not be impaired. At a public inquiry into plans for 18 turbines at Middlemoor near Alnwick, these objections were raised.

The Ministry of Defence is blocking 13 wind farm developments from the Scottish borders to the Caithness coast because it claims they could create radar "blind spots" which might allow hostile aircraft, cruise missiles or even hijacked passenger jets to creep in under the country's protective screen. It has also lodged objections to 29 other proposed turbine sites in England, including four backed by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, one of the bodies responsible for pushing forward the government's renewable energy strategy. ...In a statement, the MoD said: "We fully support the government's renewable energy policies and consider each development proposal on a case-by-case basis.

National air traffic control bosses are to tell a Northumberland wind farm inquiry that allowing the turbines to be built would be disastrous for the environment. The three wind farms planned for the Kirkwhelpington area north of Hexham have already met with objections from Tynedale Council, the Ministry of Defence and Newcastle Airport. ...But their biggest concern is that any change to flight paths will lead to more fuel being needed at a time when the aviation industry is coming under immense criticism by environmental groups for the huge amounts of fuel burnt high up in the atmosphere every day. In documents put before the public planning inquiry into 59 turbines by three energy companies, NATS bosses have warned the wind farms would indirectly contribute to climate change.