Fears that the death knell has been sounded for West Hinkley wind farm were raised this week, with the sale of its rights to Electricite de France (EDF). The energy firm has already announced its interest in investing in nuclear energy and bought the rights for the wind farm from Your Energy. EDF also owns a piece of land adjoining the existing nuclear plant, which campaigners fear will be used to build more nuclear reactors.

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."

Wind farm developer Infinergy this week lodged its appeal against the decision made in March to refuse planning permission for ten turbines in the Vale of Belvoir. The Dorset-based firm insists its proposal to build 415ft-tall turbines at the Thackson's Well site near Bottesford is viable. Project director Herbert Lindlahr said: "We are confident of our case. "We studied the local area in great detail to assess its suitability for the project and found it to be one of the best locations in South Kesteven.

Environmental campaigners last night condemned the sale of a proposed wind farm site to a French company planning to build a nuclear power plant on the plot. The site at West Hinkley, Somerset, has been bought by Electricite de France (EDF), one of the world's largest nuclear power generators. Your Energy, which tried for five years to win planning permission to build a wind farm there, confirmed it had sold the project rights to EDF. Jim Duffy, spokesman for the Stop Hinkley campaign, said objectors like British Energy had thwarted the wind farm plans by arguing nuclear power was a better use of the land.

A major application for a £20 million upgrade to a wind farm on the Lizard Peninsula could be approved, if Kerrier councillors listen to their planning officers' advice. Council officers have recommended approving the application despite recognising it would have a significant adverse impact on a landscape designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB). Although this being contrary to council policy officers think the application should go ahead as the benefits would outweigh the disadvantages.

Weeks after plans to locate Europe's biggest wind farm on Lewis were refused, a public inquiry opened on the island yesterday into another controversial wind farm proposal. Opponents are concerned it would set the prehistoric Callanish standing stones in an industrial landscape. ..."Over 20,000 people travelled to see the Callanish last year. The setting is as much part of the experience for visitors as the stones themselves. It is ludicrous that the government would even entertain the idea of marching turbines across such a world-class landscape."

A public inquiry into plans to build a 53-turbine wind farm close to a prehistoric site on the Isle of Lewis is to open in Stornoway. ...Mr Oppenheim had originally hoped to build 130 turbines on the Eishken Estate, but agreed to reduce this to 53 following objections from RSPB Scotland over the possible impact on birds of prey in the area such as golden eagles.

Opposition is growing today against plans to turn one of the largest wind farms in the UK into one of the tallest. ScottishPower Renewables and Eurus Energy want to treble the output of "clean, green energy" at Llandinam in Mid Wales and to replace 103 45-metre (149ft) tall turbines with 42, 122-metre (400ft) machines. When it was opened in 1992, Llandinam was one of the largest wind farms in Europe.

Research which could transform worldwide production of large-scale wind turbines is being carried out at the University of Nottingham. Peter Schubel is leading a £1.4m project called Airpower which could make it eight per cent cheaper and 11% faster to manufacture the blades. ...Dr Schubel said large-scale blades were extremely labour intensive to produce under current methods - with up to 35 people at any one time working on a single blade. This also means there can be high levels of waste because of human error.

An ombudsman is demanding council bosses pay to take down overhead power lines they allowed to be erected in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Tynedale Council has been accused of "maladministration" by the Local Government Ombudsman after it failed to prevent the erection of 1,600 metres of overhead power line, with 12 electricity poles, close to Ninebanks, in the Tyne Valley. The council claims it could have done nothing to stop the cables being put up but is facing a further rap for refusing to remedy the "injustice".

More than a dozen Shetland artists have taken up the challenge from a local gallery owner to create new pieces of work about the plans for a massive wind farm in the islands' central mainland. ...Most pieces reflect a deep unease with the proposal to erect 154 huge wind turbines on Shetland's peat moorland.

The company behind the controversial East Stoke wind farm has cut its number of proposed turbines by a third. Infinergy, which wanted to build six 125-metre turbines at Masters Pit, Puddletown Road, now plans just four for the site. Project bosses say this downsize is a response to residents' concerns, an explanation that has been rubbished by wind farm opponents. Dorset Against Rural Turbines (Dart) president Terry Stewart said: "The main reason we are against these proposals, and we are still very much against them, is the visual impact they will have in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Plans have been unveiled in Powys to turn one of the largest wind farms in the UK into one of the tallest. The companies behind the scheme want to replace 103, 45-metre (149ft) tall turbines in Llandinam, near Newtown, with 42, 122-metre (400ft) machines. They said the redevelopment would treble the output of "clean, green energy" at the mid Wales site. But objectors claim the new turbines could have a detrimental visual impact on the landscape.

Centrica, one of the UK's biggest energy generators, has warned that the prospect of making money from wind farms is looking "marginal". The company says that the rising cost of off-shore wind farms could end up ruining the government's renewable energy targets. The comments come a week after Shell withdrew from a project that was set to become the world's largest wind farm. The government wants 33 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity built by 2020.

Councillors have rejected an application for a 14-turbine wind farm for Highland Perthshire. They decided the scheme proposed for Calliacher, near Aberfeldy, would be too visually intrusive. The council's development quality manager had recommended the conditional approval of the plans, stating that any other decision would be "unjustified." Developers I and H Brown said they were "surprised" by the outcome and would take legal advice on a possible appeal.

Ramblers have condemned a decision by Peak District bosses to approve a wind turbine on National Trust land. The Derbyshire Ramblers' Association say the decision to allow the turbine on White Edge on the Park's eastern moors is "astonishing" and would seriously detract from the character of the landscape. Officers had recommended the application should be refused because it wouldn't fit in with the landscape - but councillors felt the demand for renewable energy was just too important. ..."It is even more astonishing that the Park's Planning Committee should vote for the application to be approved. We would describe it as a betrayal of all the National Park is intended to stand for."

Security guards manned the door at Marshland St James' Jubilee Hall for the latest consultation meeting on the proposed controversial wind farm. But Thursday's gathering passed without incident with more than 200 people turning out to look at plans for the proposed building of 19 wind turbines on land adjoining Marshland St James and stretching to Emneth, Outwell and Tilney St Lawrence. Developers organised the security and also asked for a police presence amid concerns there might be disruption.

A public inquiry into the plans to build a wind farm near Ellingham is likely to be held in September. Berwick Borough Council refused permission for the 10-turbine development at Wandylaw in October last year. Applicants RidgeWind appealed the decision which sparked a public inquiry. Planning officers had recommended the bid be approved but councillors said it would have a detrimental effect on the landscape.

The Northampton skyline could be swamped with massive wind turbines if plans to built a 417ft installation at Brackmills are given the go-ahead, an MP has warned. Supermarket giant Asda has applied to build the large turbine at its distribution centre on the Northampton industrial estate. The plans have caused upset among people living nearby and the Conservative MP for Northampton South, Brian Binley, has called for a limit on the structures during a session in the Houses of Parliament.

While a recent all-island grid study suggested Ireland could be a world leader in renewable energy, and produce up to 42 per cent of energy from renewable sources by 2020 (the majority of which would be through wind), the pace at which wind farms are being connected to the national grid is nowhere near what this target would demand. ...‘‘The capacity utilisation here [the amount of time when there is enough wind blowing to create energy] is 30 to 35 per cent, so on paper Ireland would be a good place to invest if you are in the wind energy business. ‘‘However, the wind farms built under AER5 [incentive scheme] are losing money, because of moving energy prices throughout the world. ...‘‘Lots of people are looking to get involved in projects, but getting the finance - because of major capital costs - is very difficult for non-established companies," said director John Brereton.