THE Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) in North Yorkshire has backed a new plan for the future of the county's rural areas.
The new draft of the North Yorkshire Joint Structure Plan has been put together by North Yorkshire County Council and the local national park authorities. It aims to control development in rural areas to benefit local people and protect the environment.
John Farquhar, the CPRE's planning campaigner for the county, praised the way the plan made sustainability and the environment top priorities, discouraging the development of new villages to serve commuters. He described it as "an excellent plan which CPRE can wholeheartedly support".
The plan also focuses on the controversial issue of wind farm development. Current targets for renewable energy in North Yorkshire would need a large-scale contribution from wind power. However, wind farms are often unpopular because they are unsightly. The draft plan says wind power development must be "visually and environmentally acceptable".
Updated: 09:16 Monday, April 14, 2003
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