ANGRY East Lancashire MPs have failed to win any concessions from the Government over tightening up the planning procedure on the siting of wind farms.

Ribble Valley Tory Nigel Evans led a strong attack on plans to site groups of turbines on Longridge Fell and elsewhere in and around his constituency.

He told Trade Minister Richard Page: "Wind turbines are relatively inefficient, highly visible and extremely ugly.

"Some are far taller than Nelson's Column and can be seen for miles around. They scar the natural beauty of the countryside. They are a blot on the landscape.

"Their continuous noise - audible and subsonic - is extremely monotonous and unpleasant and might cause health and psychological problems.

"Bird habitats are destroyed and many birds are killed. Tourists dislike them and residents suffer through lower property values." Mr Evans said their "green credentials" were overstated and a government subsidy was encouraging people to put them up.

He asked Mr Page: "Look again at fresh ways in which to conserve energy and at research into improving the harnessing of wind energy, making it more viable and giving more weight to local authorities so that they feel secure in saying 'no' to unsightly turbines in the countryside.

"If we are to persist with such turbines, we must get the siting right.

"If we do not, we will be guilty of ruining one of Britain's greatest assets - our green and pleasant land."

He was backed by Burnley Labour MP Peter Pike.

He said his experience of the wind farm at Cliviger was that it was very damaging to a beautiful area and visible throughout his constituency.

He went on: "Further wind farms in our area would be unacceptable."

But Mr Page defended wind farms and the current planning process.

He said: "Wind power is here to stay and we must make sure that it is introduced in a sensitive fashion."

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