CALLS for a town hall policy opposing controversial wind farms being built in Darwen have been blocked.

Labour leaders disagreed with the calls for a strong line against the proposed wind farm on Darwen moorland at a Blackburn with Darwen Council planning meeting.

Darwen councillors are furious at moves to build more than a dozen 200 ft wind turbines above the town.

PowerGen has won a Government contract for a wind farm in the borough and designs for the scheme have already been drawn up.

But Blackburn town hall has still to receive a formal planning application.

Liberal Democrat leader Paul Browne said: "This committee should say here and now it is opposed to the principle of wind farms in Darwen. "They are an eyesore and the amount of energy generated by these windmills is peanuts compared to other methods. Nobody wants them in Darwen.

"If they were built they would be so big you would be able to see them from anywhere in Darwen."

Conservative Fred Slater added: "We must act together to have tough policies in place to oppose these wind farms when a planning application is made.

"I was one of the people who went to see the wind farm at Coal Clough in Burnley. That is an eyesore and these would be 100 ft higher."

Chairman of planning Frank Connor said: "This discussion is very premature because we still have to receive a planning application.

"We cannot make any recommendations to refuse something until we have received an application."

Coun Sue Reid added: "I have an open mind about wind farms and we should wait and see the application before coming to a decision.

"We would be in danger of opening ourselves up to criticism as a council if we opposed something before we actually saw it."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.