Wind farm subsidy cut urged by MPs

More than 100 Conservatives are among MPs who have written to the prime minister calling on him to slash subsidies for onshore wind turbines. The MPs also want planning rules changed to make it easier for local people to object to their construction. The Tories and politicians from other parties expressed concerns over the level of taxpayers' money going to the sector. The government said it had commissioned a review of subsidy levels. Hundreds of millions of pounds are spent on subsidising wind farms each year as the government strives to meet legally binding targets to reduce carbon emissions. State help for wind farms is being cut under plans set out by ministers last year, however MPs have demanded an acceleration. "In these financially straitened times, we think it is unwise to make consumers pay, through taxpayer subsidy, for inefficient and intermittent energy production that typifies onshore wind turbines," they wrote in the letter, seen by the Sunday Telegraph. The politicians also expressed concerns that the proposed National Planning Policy Framework "diminishes the chances of local people defeating onshore wind farm proposals through the planning system". 'Diverse energy mix' Organised by backbencher Chris Heaton-Harris, the letter's 101 Tory signatories include senior figures such as David Davis, Bernard Jenkin and Nicholas Soames. BBC chief political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue says Mr Heaton-Harris and the signatories are not against renewable energy per se, but believe onshore wind got far too big a slice of the cake. A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "We need a low carbon infrastructure and onshore wind is a cost effective and valuable part of the UK's diverse energy mix." She added: "We are committed to giving local communities the power to shape the spaces in which they live and are getting rid of regional targets introduced by the last government. "The draft framework also aims to strengthen local decision making and reinforce the importance of local plans."