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The ministers' decision, which follows a seven-week public inquiry in Cumbria last year, is likely to cause a rethink of the development of windpower in remote, windy parts of the country with a high landscape value. Promoters were said to have been scouring Cumbria in search of new turbine sites. But wind power supporters said yesterday they feared the balance would now tip towards nuclear energy.
Commenting on the recommendation of the planning inspector, David Rose, Mr Wicks said: "Tackling global warming is critical but we must also nurture the immediate environment and wildlife. This is at the crux of the debate over wind energy. On this occasion, we agree with the independent inspector that the impact on landscape and recreation would outweigh the benefits in terms of reducing carbon emissions."
But Tony Juniper, director of Friends of the Earth, said he was appalled by the decision. "On the one hand, ministers say they support renewable energy and on the other turn down carefully worked-up proposals that would have minimal environmental impacts while helping to fight climate change - the greatest threat of all.
"The ministers who decided this should be ashamed. No wonder the government is failing to tackle climate change. As each day goes by Labour's commitments to the environment become more and more unbelievable." Stephen Tindale, executive director of Greenpeace, said: "Any government that wants to expand airports and turn down windfarms is simply not fit to govern. It's hard to believe that the nuclear industry has not played some role in this.
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http://politics.guardian.co.uk/green/story/0,,1722624,00.html
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