Minister urges wind farm consent

Wind farms should not be built against the wishes of local people in future, the energy minister has said.

Michael Fallon is expected to publish a package of planning proposals to ensure new schemes need "community consent".

Residents who agree to allow turbines near their homes could also be eligible for special payments.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph , Mr Fallon warned that he would not tolerate some areas being "swamped" by applications for wind farms.

"It's about a better balance," he said. "We are not against renewable energy, but it has to have community consent.

"What we need for onshore wind is to ensure that communities who (have) onshore wind benefit properly, benefit more fully than they do at the moment.

"That there is more certainty but that, equally, areas don't feel they are being swamped by multiple applications."

He went on: "We have got a package of proposals to deal with all of that."

The Tory minister insisted that energy policy should not be "ideological".

"My job here is to make sure we have enough energy, we don't have to worry about security of supply, we have new generation and that customers get the best possible deal. Delivery, not ideology," he said.