MPs have warned the Government not to drop its manifesto pledge to block onshore wind farms after ministers suggested the rules could be relaxed.
David Cameron’s 2015 manifesto vowed to halt the spread of subsidised onshore wind turbines after more than 100 Conservative MPs wrote to the Prime Minister calling for wind subsidies to be scrapped.
But the dormant row over onshore wind farms threatens to reigniteafter energy ministers Claire Perry and Richard Harrington alarmed their backbench colleagues by revealing that they are working on ways to support future projects.
Ms Perry raised eyebrows late last year after saying that onshore wind “is absolutely part of the future” and that she is working on ways “to see how we might bring forward onshore wind, particularly for areas of the UK that want to deploy it.”
Richard Harrington, the junior energy minister, has also said publicly that he sees “no reason” why onshore wind farms should not compete on a level playing field against other energy options vying for financial support.
Glyn Davies, the MP for Montgomeryshire in Wales, who played a leading role in the backbench campaign against onshore wind farms, said he was “alarmed” by the change of tone among energy ministers.
“I’ve spoken to Claire Perry because I wanted to let her know my view. The minister assured me that there hasn’t been a change and I am a bit reassured by that,” he said.
“We’ve got huge numbers of people who demonstrated their opposition previously and I think all those people would be reactivated if the Government changed its position,” he warned.