THE end of wind farm subsidies has been welcomed by local action groups and by Mel Stride, MP for Central Devon.

New onshore wind farms will be excluded from a subsidy scheme from April 2016, a year earlier than expected.

The move was part of a manifesto commitment by the Conservative party ahead of the General Election in May — a move which has been welcomed by local action groups.

Penny Mills, from CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) Devon, said: 'CPRE Devon welcomes the fact that the Government is now at last aware of the devastating effects that wind turbines are having on our countryside and on the people who live and work within it, which can so clearly be seen locally.

'We also welcome the fact that the Government is now saying that only wind turbine applications that have the support of the local community would be able to be approved.

'However, there are 310 wind turbines either already permitted or in the planning process in Devon alone — with 48 still pending a decision or at appeal. The impact on our landscape here has already been devastating and we must await the decisions on all these outstanding applications.'

The Department of Energy and Climate Change said that there will be a grace period for projects which already have planning permission.

Under the plans, which will be introduced in the Energy Bill, wind turbines will only get the go-ahead if provision for them has been clearly allocated in areas by local people through the Local or a Neighbourhood Plan. The developer will have to demonstrate that the proposal has community backing.

Jon Snowden, chair of LLVAG, Lifton and Lyd Valley Action Group, said he welcomed the news.

'We are an active group of concerned residents formed in 2014 to raise awareness about inappro-priate development.

'We are not anti-renewable energy but do strongly oppose the ad-hoc and opportunist development of single wind turbines ruining the West Devon landscape, countryside and community. There is nothing "green" in their motives.

'It is interesting and powerful to say a member of our committee recently declared that, from her window, looking west towards Launceston and Bodmin Moor, she could see over 40 single turbines The application of the planning process appears to be very lax in Cornwall — it is clear from our campaigning that the residents of West Devon do not want the proliferation of turbines to sweep across the Tamar,

'We welcome the election pledge from the Conservative Party.'

Mel Stride, MP for Central Devon, said: 'I welcome the reduction in subsidies for onshore wind. There have been far too many of these sited in the wrong places and against the wishes of local people.'

Reacting to the Government's decisions to end new subsidies for onshore wind farms and changing planning rules, Friends of the Earth's renewable energy campaigner Alasdair Cameron said: 'While the Government rolls out the red carpet for fracking, its pulling the rug from under onshore wind.

'Proposed changes to the planning system could make it more difficult for local authorities to give the go-ahead to new wind installations — even if it's the local community who want to build and run them. Basically you get fracking whether you like it or not — but if you want wind, you may miss out.'