In the first week of November Hampshire County Council Tories announced plans for a blanket ban for wind turbines sited on council land.

Ken Thornber will take the final decision whether to implement the ban, on 24th January and report his decision to a full council meeting in February.

Within a few weeks of Hampshire's proposed Tory policy on wind turbines being released,the Tory led Test Valley Council's planning committee has rejected a 26 acre plan for 20,000- solar panel energy farm, in favour of a grade 2 listed building.

The application was refused on the grounds that the proposals would adversely affect the special character and appearance of Green Place, which is “a designated heritage asset”.

Despite officers recommending that the scheme be approved it is now very apparent that Hampshire Tories are going to do their best to stop renewable energy projects across the county.



Hampshire County Cllr Alan Weeks of the Greens (pictured) declared that "the aggressive opposition to onshore renewable energy projects in Hampshire is short sighted thinking and will make the UK's target for renewable energy even harder to achieve".


Chris Bluemel, South West Hampshire Green Party Coordinator also contributed to the debate "it is laughable that one countryside house, however historical, is the deciding factor for such an important issue. Our foremost priority is to tackle climate change with renewable energy projects. We must complete as many new enterprises across Hampshire and indeed the Isle of Wight, so as to increase our renewable energy production within the region".