A joint statement was issued by the councils of Poole, Bournemouth, Purbeck and Christchurch in response to the "West of Isle of Wight" wind farm proposal. It said they were "key stakeholders" representing local people, committed to sustaining the natural environment and working to support local employment and tourism industry. "We are collectively disappointed that no approach appears to have been made... to either advise us of these plans or seek our views and the views of local residents, partners and businesses.

A windfarm proposed for the Vale of Belvoir has come under fire from all directions, potentially sounding its death knell. County Hall blasted the scheme, near Bottesford, branding it an 'unacceptable' risk to the region's heritage while the parish council unanimously opposed the plans.

Firms and households are facing significantly higher electricity bills over the next five to 10 years as consumers shoulder the cost of renewable energy targets. Analysts estimate that households are already paying up to £10 extra a year through their utility bills to subsidise alternative forms of energy. At an energy conference in Edinburgh last week policymakers admitted that the financial burden on households and businesses will only increase as governments push to achieve ambitious renewables targets.

A new planning law, set to be launched by the Scottish Government tomorrow, could introduce such strict rules that it would make it impossible for wind turbines and other energy products to be used in homes in Scotland. ...The new law says that homes in which the owners want to install a micro wind turbine or an air source heat pump, which absorbs heat from outside to warm up buildings, would have to be at least 100 metres from its nearest neighbour because of the noise they make.

It is claimed the turbine in the grounds of Winscombe Woodborough Primary School gives out a constant whirring and has been christened Chinook by neighbours. David Egremont, who lives near the school, said: "The noise is not very pleasant at the best of times but when the wind comes from the east, as has happened frequently in recent months, then it becomes a constant annoyance.

Campaigners have called for the Government to safeguard North East beauty spots as The Journal reveals hundreds of wind turbines could blight the region. Our wind map reveals nearly 250 turbines could pepper the North East landscape in the next year if planning chiefs give them the go-ahead. Information provided by the region's councils indicates an influx of turbines could begin to dominate the landscape within a few years.

More than 100 people have signed a petition opposing plans to build four giant wind turbines in countryside near a Northumberland market town. The petition was gathered during a packed public meeting held to drum up support for a protest campaign against green power company Novera Energy's bid to develop the wind farm at Todd Hill, about six kilometres north-west of Morpeth.

Four giant wind turbines planned for the heart of Northumberland will create landscape features visible from the coastline to the Simonside Hills, protesters claim. ...Now dozens of local people have set up a protest group to fight the Todd Hill scheme, which would be within 900 metres of homes in the isolated hamlets of Pigdon, Abshields and Benridge.

Controversial proposals for another two wind farms in the district have drawn an angry response from residents, who raged "not in my back yard". Consultations and exhibitions for wind farms by German developer Prowind at Bishop Wood Farm near Thorpe Willoughby and Wood Lane near Gateforth have been given the thumbs-down by locals.

Campaigners from both sides of the England-Wales border are joining forces to save a massive landmark built more than 1,000 years ago to divide them. Villagers living in the remote areas either side of Offa's Dyke are putting aside age-old hostilities to fight plans to bring 21st century alternative technology close to the ancient monument. Welsh planning officials are pleading with their opposite numbers on the English side of the dyke to help them protect the eighth century earthworks.

Villagers battling plans for a wind farm in Worcestershire are to stage a walk through the countryside they fear will be destroyed by the proposals. Families living in the Vale of Evesham will gather tomorrow for the walk along the Wychavon Way and Blossom Trail, close to where Scottish Power Renewables is planning to build 10 turbines measuring 125m (410ft) on land owned by farmers.

Anti-windfarm activists have joined forces to support councillors who fear that a proliferation of developments could undermine Cumbria's economic regeneration. The Strategic Alliance Against Lakeland Wind Turbines (SALT) and Friends of Eden, Lakeland and Lunesdale Scenery (FELLS) are concerned that Cumbria is at a crossroads that could heavily damage the countryside.

The company behind plans to build a wind farm at Podington has challenged the result of a public consultation. Bedford Borough Council has just finished asking residents about the proposal at Airfield Farm, and received just 216 comments in support compared with 441 objecting. But energy firm Nuon Renewables has released a report of its own, claiming a majority of local residents - 66.5 per cent - support the bid to create a three-turbine wind farm at Airfield Farm.

Local Plaid Cymru AM for Aberconwy, Gareth Jones, has described the decision by the Westminster Labour Government to approve the construction of the huge Gwynt y Mor windfarm, off the coast of Llandudno and Colwyn Bay, as a slap in the face and an affront to the democratically-expressed wishes of the people of Wales. ..."The scale of the Gwynt y Mor development cannot be overstated. The 250 turbines will be visible for many miles around.

The first of three public meetings is taking place about plans for 350, 49ft (15m) tall electricity pylons through rural areas of Powys. The overhead line is planned from a wind farm in Llandinam to a sub-station in Welshpool 22 miles (35km) away, and is needed to meet energy demands. Drop-in sessions and meetings are being held in Dolfor and Kerry, near Newtown.

Residents have expressed fears over the size of five huge wind turbines after their first view of how they would appear on the Derbyshire landscape. West Coast Energy, the company behind the scheme, said the 126m (413ft) turbines proposed for Matlock Moor at a cost of £16m ...

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.

Villagers battling plans for a wind farm in rural Worcestershire have claimed it could led to serious health consequences for thousands of people living in the area. ...Erica Page, spokeswoman for Vale Villagers Against ScottishPower, said: "We are in the initial stages of doing research but we have found claims that the low frequency noise emitted by the turbines can affect people's health.

Andrew Randall lives in King's Dyke, Whittlesey, with his pregnant partner Rachel Barford and one-year-old daughter Aimee, just 100 yards from the towering machine. He said the constant noise from the turning blades is causing sleepless nights and stress for Rachel, who is four months pregnant. Mr Randall (23) said: "Rachel's stressed all the time and she can't cope with the lack of sleep. I'm concerned about the health of the baby. ..."We've got a hot tub in the back garden, but it's a waste because we can't go out there, it's just too noisy."

Farmers living next to a proposed windfarm in the Valleys say the plans would be a "disaster" for them if it is given the go-ahead. Pennant Wind Energy Ventures Ltd wants to build four 328 ft high turbines on a four-hectare site on Mynydd James mountain at Blaentillery between Cwmtillery and Blaina. ..."I fear that the scheme is unsafe and the area is not suitable for such turbines."