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 Blair's windfarm 'hypocrisy'TONY BLAIR was last night accused of hypocrisy over a planning application for a windfarm a mile from his constituency home. The Prime Minister and Labour MP for Sedgefield, who has a house in Trimdon Colliery, County Durham, signalled support for campaigners, many from his constituency, who are opposing the development in fields near the neighbouring village of Trimdon Grange. The Government believes wind power could help achieve a 60 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, and recently changed planning policy to encourage windfarms to be built. North-East Conservative Euro MP Martin Callanan said Mr Blair was guilty of gross hypocrisy. The Trimdon Area Group Against Wind Farms hopes Mr Blair's backing will sway councillors to reject the plans tonight. Council officers said the scheme should be approved because it met national, regional and local planning policies. EDF Energy, one of the country's largest power companies, hopes to build four turbines, with an overall height of 76 metres, to operate for 25 years at Southern Law Farm, just inside the boundary of Liberal Demo- crat-controlled Durham City Council. Mr Blair's support was indicated in a letter written by his agent, John Burton, to an objector, which was passed to the council's planners. Mr Burton wrote: "I agree with many of the points you raise. While both Tony and I support the development of alternative sources of energy, they need to be situated in the correct place. "Large turbines should not be sited near housing developments and, in the case of Trimdon Grange, built on land that is liable to subsidence." Mr Callanan, a former Gateshead councillor, said: "I think this is gross hypocrisy on the part of the Prime Minister and on the part of the Government for forcing wind turbines on the rest of the country, but deciding to follow a different policy for his own constituency." Mr Burton last night rejected the claim, and said: "The letter was from me, the Prime Minister's agent, and what I was saying was that we certainly support alternative forms of energy. "Tony Blair's office is supporting plans for nine turbines elsewhere in Sedgefield but, like anything else, you have to be careful where you site it." Earlier this year the Government issued new guidance to councils to encourage onshore windfarm developments, and schemes are being proposed across the country. A report to councillors from Durham City Council's head of environmental protection, David Thornborrow, said: "The environmental benefits of the windfarm outweigh visual impact."
Published 13/12/04
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