Wind farms on hilltops will be banned in England鈥檚 Peak National Park,
if a new energy policy in the park鈥檚 15-year development plan goes ahead.
The plan says that the visual impact of wind farms outweighs their global
benefits. But unobstrusive wind, water or solar energy generators might
be acceptable for local needs.
This is the first such plan for a national park since the Edwards report
was published in March 1991. It advocated changes to the way parks are used,
to help them withstand the effects of visitors. Staff at the Peak park expect
sufficient objections to the plan鈥檚 mineral extraction and housing restrictions
to warrant a public inquiry at the end of the year.