So much for localism...

Following on from our earlier piece, the people of East Anglia have this to look forward to.

FAULTY wind turbines in a Northumberland beauty spot could be taken down after they stopped working. The three giant structures at Kirkheaton, North of Hexham, were put up almost 10 years ago by EDF Energy but technical issues have meant that two of the turbines have had to have their blades removed, and haven’t been operational since last autumn. Planning conditions state that any individual turbine not working for more than six months should be removed and that part of the site restored.

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Mr Worlock’s group is opposing Catamount Energy’s bid for six turbines at Barmoor.

The two other schemes being heard at the inquiry are Your Energy’s proposal for seven engines at Moorsyde and npower renewable’s scheme for seven at Toft Hill.

Elizabeth Dunn, for Your Energy, hit back at Mr Worlock’s claims, urging Mrs McKenzie to take a similar view to the inspector who approved a scheme at nearby Wandylaw. That inspector said there was no prospect of Northumberland meeting its 2010 target and that this increased the need for Wandylaw. Mrs Dunn said: "Northumberland is still a long way from meeting its targets and they are not caps or ceilings." Paul Tucker, for Northumberland County Council, told the session it would be better if the authority carried out an appraisal of the county and identified the best sites for wind farms. "Whatever those best sites are, they are not at Toft Hill, at Moorsyde or at Barmoor."

Mrs McKenzie told the inquiry that she would prepare a report on each of the three schemes to the secretary of state for communities and local government by the end of September or beginning of October.

The secretary of state will then consider the reports before making the final decision, probably in the new year.

Would this be "an inconvenient democracy"?