WEST Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett will head a delegation meeting a leading Government minister later this month to discuss the future of renewable energy in the region.
Mr Burnett said the timing of the meeting was crucial following the publication two months ago of the Energy White Paper which set out new government guidelines for the increased development of onshore windfarms.
He said West Devon already made, and would continue to make, a ?huge contribution? to renewable energy. However, he said he wanted the minister to be aware of some of the concerns about the suitability of West Devon for the siting of onshore wind turbines.
Mr Burnett said there were several key areas of concern over wind farms, chiefly their visual impact within a rural area like West Devon.
?Most people think they are a blot on the landscape,? he said. ?Visual impact must be a compelling ground for refusal when applications are considered.
?Tourism is more and more important to our local economy, huge amounts of money have been invested and many jobs depend on it.
?The landscape is the most precious thing we have got. People don?t want to come down here and be reminded of industrial processes. They want tranquility,? said Mr Burnett.
Expert opinion on the efficiency of, and noise created by wind turbines were other points Mr Burnett said he intended to raise at the meeting.
Mr Burnett said if the precedent of allowing one wind turbine was accepted in the ?completely unspoilt landscape? of West Devon, many more might be introduced.
Mr Burnett this week also visited the site of a recent application to West Devon Borough Council to site two wind turbines on farmland near Brentor which is located between the Dartmoor National Park boundary and the designated Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The application was rejected last month by West Devon?s planning committee, but the applicants have indicated their intention to appeal against the decision.
Mr Burnett will be accompanied to the meeting with the planning minister Tony McNulty by the chief executive of West Devon Borough Council David Incoll and the borough?s head of planning Stephen Gill and their respective counterparts at Torridge District Council.
Mr Burnett cited the biogas project at Holsworthy, the ?clean? power station at Winkleigh and proposed off-shore wind turbines at Appledore as examples of renewable energy projects in his constituency.