Coalition split over wind farms (From Braintree and Witham Times)

Coalition split over wind farms

10:25am Wednesday 31st October 2012 in National News © Press Association 2013

Coalition tensions over energy policy erupted as a Conservative minister infuriated his Liberal Democrat boss by apparently announcing there would be no further expansion of onshore wind farms.

John Hayes was immediately slapped down by Energy Secretary Ed Davey for insisting that "enough is enough" and turbine developments should no longer be "imposed on communities".

The Tory energy minister had been ordered not to deliver the remarks in a speech on Tuesday night, amid warnings that they were not compatible with Government policy and would breach the ministerial code, but they were obtained instead for publication by newspapers.

A source close to Mr Davey said: "It's not Government policy and nor will it be. The Tories are not in a single-party Government. We support renewables and we are not talking about a moratorium on onshore wind at the moment. We are going to continue to hold Conservative feet to the fire."

Mr Hayes, whose comments will delight many Tory backbenchers opposed to onshore wind farms, was appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron as a Tory deputy to Mr Davey in last month's reshuffle.

In comments apparently cut from a draft of Mr Hayes's speech in Glasgow, he said policy should not be based on a "bourgeois left article of faith".

"We can no longer have wind turbines imposed on communities. I can't single-handedly build a new Jerusalem but I can protect our green and pleasant land," he said.

"We have issued a call for evidence on wind. That is about cost but also about community buy-in. We need to understand communities' genuine desires. We will form our policy in the future on the basis of that, not on a bourgeois left article of faith based on some academic perspective."

He insisted only a minority of proposed wind turbines were needed to meet green targets set by the Government. He added: "If you look at what has been built, what has consent and what is in the planning system, much of it will not get through and will be rejected. Even if a minority of what's in the system is built, we are going to reach our 2020 target. I'm saying enough is enough."

Greenpeace accused Mr Hayes of deepening the divide in Government over energy policy. Energy campaigner Leila Deen said: "John Hayes' petulant outburst adds to the coalition's growing energy shambles and to a deepening divide within Government between those who care about green growth and the economy and those who just want more oil and gas. Here is a new minister veering off brief and publicly contradicting his bosses. His comments threaten jobs and his approach will drive up energy bills."