DOWNSIZED proposals for a wind farm in a Moray forest are still visually and environmentally unacceptable, claim local residents. ...Locals say the development would scar a scenic landscape for nothing more than commercial greed. ...In 'The Northern Scot' last week, David Hodkinson, managing director of the firm's wind energy business, believed the development, on land owned by the Forestry Commission, now fitted with people's expectations in the area. ...However, the application met with strong opposition this week from residents whose homes border the site, which is around 800 metres above sea level to the south of Buckie. ...Dr Henderson said it was inconceivable to erect wind turbines, recently voted the No 1 eyesore in a BBC and MORI poll, at a time when Moray is developing a tourism strategy. "Once this process has been started it is iredeemable and you can't stop the juggernaut," she said.

Three different qualified professional landscape and visual assessors have reported on the proposed Crook Hill wind farm with the result of three different conclusions. The first conclusion is that the 12 turbine wind farm is acceptable since the "landscape and visual effects will be temporary and there would be no long term impacts"; the second conclusion was that no wind farm at this location would be acceptable; and the third conclusion was that a smaller wind farm at this location would be acceptable, shifting the balance to two to one in favour of a wind farm at the site. ...If two out of three landscape assessors agree the location is acceptable and the council rejects the application, it will be left up to an inspector at an inquiry to decide whether the scale of the Crook Hill wind farm is acceptable or not.

A NORTH Sutherland community stands to gain up to half a million pounds a year in community benefit from wind farms, it emerged this week. But the "pot of gold" has failed to impress some Strathy residents who this week angrily dismissed it as a sweetener, aimed at making them accept major changes to their local landscape. ...The power company wants to build a £90 million, 35-turbine development on the north side of Strathy and a follow-up 77-turbine development on the south side of the forest.

A REPORT into two proposed wind farms in Yorkshire and Lancashire has deemed the controversial schemes "acceptable" in landscape and visual terms. The proposed schemes for five 410ft high turbines on Todmorden Moor, Calderdale, and three turbines the same height at Reaps Moss, in Rossendale, have brought strong opposition. ..."The proposed wind farm would be a temporary feature that added a new chapter to the landscape's industrial history."

Massive new wind turbines could be on the horizon for the North-east. The structures would literally be jumbo-sized - with blades as long as a 747 jet. And today planners warned the 500ft-plus structures were a "serious" threat to the look of the landscape. The new generation turbines are being developed in the US by General Electric. An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman said: "The development of this new generation of larger wind turbines is a serious source of concern for us, especially in relation to landscape and visual issues. ...Lorraine Bolsinger, vice-president of GE's ecoimagination division, said: "The economics of longer wind turbines are going to be pretty compelling. "If you can put them in places where they're not eyesores, it'll be a win-win situation." But Aberdeenshire Council reckons it could be hard to hide a 500ft turbine. ..."We as a local authority need to view this type of development positively, but the industry has a responsibility too - they can't keep on developing ever-bigger structures with little obvious indication that potential adverse impacts on the landscapes of project sites have been fully considered."

FURTHER objections have been made to plans to build four giant wind turbines near Hemsby. The Broads Authority planning committee has joined Hemsby villagers and Ormesby St Margaret parish councillors in voicing its opposition to SLP Energy's scheme for the 125m high turbines. The objections came at its committee meeting last Friday amid concerns about the detrimental impact on the countryside, outweighing the Authority's need to promote green energy. ...the development would also affect the ecology of the area, with large bird and bat populations at the wind farm site in an area known as the Trinity Broads which is bordered by Hall Farm Fen to the north, an area of fen grazing stretching to Hemsby.

Nigg and Shandwick Community Council chairman Richard Cross described the photomontages as "extremely dubious" and queried why a request for copies was refused. He said, "Why? Could it be that the images do not stand scrutiny? "They insist on referring to this development as 'small scale' but capable of supplying 6,000 houses. The Nigg and Shandwick Community Council area contains approximately 175 houses, 30 of which will be within one mile of the wind turbines.

A power company has reduced the size of a wind farm it hopes to build off Wirral's coast in a bid to reduce its visual impact. A revised layout for the proposed Gwynt y Mor wind farm has been submitted to the Government by the project developer Npower Renewables The amended plan would see the area in which the turbine would be built reduced by 16%. Last night, Npower said that would mean a "significant reduction in the visual impact". The proposed site is 11 miles from Wirral and between eight and nine miles off the North Wales coast.

A public hearing over plans for a proposed wind farm at Morwenstow is to take place following demands from protesters.The Planning Inspectorate has agreed to the hearing after power company West Coast Energy appealed against the decision to refuse an application to build a wind farm at Crimp. North Cornwall councillors went against planning officers' recommendations and turned down plans by the company to build three 81-metre (260ft) turbines near the coastal village. One of the reasons for refusal was the "unacceptable visual impact" of the wind farm, which would have a cumulative effect with Forest Moor in Bradworthy, home to North Devon's first wind farm. Members of campaign group, Morwenstow Against Turbines - MAT - were concerned the appeal would be decided through written representations only and have welcomed a public hearing.

Croydon MP Malcolm Wicks has been refused planning permission to install a wind turbine on the roof of the house after planning officers decided it would have been too visible from the street. This is the second time Mr Wicks has tried and failed to get the £1,500 turbine installed in the last year.

Plans to build giant wind turbines at a Dales beauty spot look set to fall at the final hurdle because of their 'visual intrusion'. The proposal for four green-energy generators to power 5,591 homes, has been put forward by Carsington Wind Energy Limited but has met with a number of objections about the chosen location. And now Derbyshire Dales District Council planning officers have recommended that the application for the 335ft tall turbines at Carsington Pastures, two miles west of Wirksworth, should be refused.

BUSINESSES in north Northumberland rely heavily on tourism - but if plans to site huge wind farms in the area come to fruition, many fear this income may dry up. Alastair Gilmour reports.

The latest bid to build a windfarm near Kirkwhelpington has been opposed by Tynedale Council........ Their concerns were reflected by councillors who voted to agree with the recommendation that the Steadings development would "cause demonstrable harm in landscape and visual terms".

The Scottish Executive refused to respond to the P &J's questions on the issue, saying it was "for SNH to field these questions". SNH commissioned the work and states in its completed document that "many windfarm developers participated". There is currently no uniformed method of photomontage to assess turbines and the issue has consistently baffled Highland councillors who decide the fate of most planning bids. Critics have pressed for years for a definitive system of accurately assessing the visual impact of turbines.

Campaigners are celebrating victory after plans to build three large wind turbines in the heart of the Hawker country were thrown out. North Cornwall councillors went against planning officers' recommendations and last week refused plans by West Coast Energy to build three 81-metre (260ft) turbines near Crimp, just outside Morwenstow. One of the main reasons for refusal was "unacceptable visual impact with an accumulative effect with Forest Moor in Bradworthy."

Campaigners have won their battle to overturn plans for a five-turbine windfarm on the unspoiled coastline of the Solway Firth. Around 1,000 villagers, visitors and business owners from Allonby and the surrounding area sent letters of objection to Allerdale Council when Nuon Renewables submitted plans to build the 102m turbines at Brownrigg Hall Farm, just outside Allonby. Today councillors on the Allerdale development panel rejected the plans on the grounds the windfarm would have a detrimental visual impact in the landscape and harm tourism in the area.

A scheme by the National Trust to use a 42ft tall wind turbine as an alternative to installing an £11,500 mains electricity supply in the conversion of a former school is expected to be rejected. It has raised concerns about a possible clash between the need for renewable energy to tackle climate change issues and the difficulty of meeting National Park planning policies. The North York Moors National Park Authority is being recommended today to reject the change of use of the former School House in Bransdale, near Helmsley, into a community hall because of "the unsightly wind turbine".

Residents are celebrating after plans for a wind farm near Beverley were thrown out. East Riding councillors unanimously rejected proposals to build a wind farm with 12 turbines up to 100 metres high at Routh, because of concerns they would spoil the views from Beverley Westwood. As reported on the Mail’s website yesterday, councillors voted against the scheme proposed by Ridgewind Limited amid fears views of Beverley Minster, in particular, would be ruined.

Councillors are being recommended to turn down plans to build a windfarm at Routh, near Beverley, because officials claim the huge turbines will damage views of historic Beverley Minster. An application by Ridgewind Ltd, who want to site 12 of the 100-metre high turbines on land north of Hall Farm at Routh will be considered at tomorrow’s (Tuesday (January 30) meeting of East Riding Council’s Planning Committee. The scheme has sparked objections from several parish councils in the area, including Tickton and Routh Parish Council and Beverley Town Council.

Plans to build a wind farm with turbines up to 100 metres tall are set to be thrown out - amid fears they will spoil views of historic Beverley Minster. Proposals for 12 “monster” turbines at Routh, near Beverley, will be considered by East Riding Council’s planning committee on Tuesday. But concerns the turbines will ruin views from Beverley Westwood have led council planning officers to recommend the plans be refused.