The collapse of the Hesket Newmarket wind turbine is a serious incident which could have been tragic.

It follows the collapse of a 200ft turbine at the Beinn an Tuirc wind farm in Argyll and Bute, which was said to have bent in half during heavy winds last November, and the collapse of a 242ft wind tower under construction in Oregon last August, which led to the death of a worker.

Wind farms are set to play a big part in national and regional targets for renewable energy production and last year Cumbria's councils produced the 62 page Cumbria Wind Energy Supplementary Planning Document.

The guidance highlights windy Cumbria's obvious suitability for wind farms. But it also draws attention to Cumbria's "high quality environment containing wide ranging nature conservation sites and species, a diverse historic legacy, important landscape character..." and says "a clear understanding of the environmental, economic and social issues is needed to determine the best place for wind energy development".

The Hesket Newmarket turbine collapse will be seized on by anti-wind farm campaigners. But the turbine was successful for years in helping power the feed mill at Newlands.

The incident should surely trigger a full HSE investigation but we will have to await the outcome of inquiries to assess its significance.

Meanwhile we urge planners seeking the best places to site wind farms in Cumbria to do plenty of background research.

According to Caithness Windfarm Information Forum, which campaigns against industrial windfarm development, 14 blade failures - whole blades or pieces of blade being thrown from the turbines - were reported worldwide last year. There were also 58 wind turbine related accidents including four fatalities.

Such data should be evaluated as Cumbria performs the tricky balancing act of meeting renewable energy targets, safeguarding lives and health, and preserving our uniquely beautiful countryside.