Ministers hear wind farm concerns

The impact of wind farms on the landscape of Northumberland is to be discussed by MPs at Westminster.

Liberal Democrat MP for Berwick, Alan Beith, has secured an Adjournment Debate on the issue for 14 March.

The debate comes after the government threw out plans for England's largest land-based wind farm in Cumbria.

Mr Beith said he was concerned that local people were not having enough of a say in the planning process for major wind farm projects.

Larger proposals

He said: "I am very concerned that there is no adequate process for considering the cumulative impact and assessing local opinion when applications are given over to the Department of Trade.

"I want to establish to what extent the DTI is working with local councils when larger wind farm proposals pass over to them.

"I also want to hear what ministers have to say about listening to the local people who will have to live with the DTI's decisions."

Several wind farm projects are being proposed for Northumberland, including a 14-turbine wind farm at Allerdean, south of Berwick.