Wind farm plans blown off course by council

Plans to build one of Europe's biggest offshore wind farms in the Solway Firth suffered a serious setback yesterday after local councillors voted to oppose the scheme.

The Scottish Executive, which will have the final say on the project, is under pressure to hold a public inquiry following a backlash from residents and environmental groups.

Dumfries and Galloway councillors met to consider more than 200 objections against the plan to build 60 150m-high turbines on a sandbank in the middle of the Solway Firth. The wind farm would be situated 5.3 miles from the Scottish mainland and 5.9 miles from England.

With the Scottish Executive pledging to produce 40 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2002, the development of the country's first offshore wind farm is seen as a major step towards reaching that target.

Support for the development, which will be visible from as far inland as Uldale fells in Cumbria, has been largely hostile. Allerdale and Cumbria councils have refused to back the £150m scheme, sayingthe giant turbines would spoil views across the Solway. In Scotland, councillors fear the visible impact of the turbines would cost the local economy dearly in lost tourist revenue.