THE Duke of Northumberland has reaffirmed his stance over wind energy development in the North East.

As reported in The Journal, the Duke launched an attack on the impact of massive turbines on countryside through the paper’s letters pages. He has reaffirmed his opinion by sending the same letter into the Sunday Telegraph.

In a personal intervention which will delight wind farm opponents, the Duke has branded turbines as “ugly, noisy and completely out of place”.

He has rejected approaches to put turbines on land owned by his own Northumberland Estates business wing – and says the structures are divisive, unreliable and potentially damaging to the vital tourism industry. In November 2009, he went public via The Journal amid fears local moorlands and hills could be carpeted by up to 250 wind turbines if plans by green energy developers win approval.

The 12th Duke, whose family is celebrating 700 years at Alnwick Castle, said he and his forebears have opened quarries and mines and built offices, schools, supermarkets and houses – some he admits have provoked local opposition.