London Editor
An MP that has adopted a strong stance against the proliferation of wind farms in the Westcountry countryside is to advise the Prime Minister on energy policy.
George Eustice, Conservative MP for Camborne and Redruth, is to join David Cameron's new eight-strong team led by fellow Conservative MP Jo Johnson – brother of London Mayor Boris.
It has emerged Mr Eustice, a former Press aide to the Prime Minister who was elected in 2010, will cover energy and climate change issues on the Number 10 policy board.
The MP, who hails from a West Cornwall farming family, has championed the Wave Hub energy terminal off the coast of Hayle in his constituency, which is poised to be the world's biggest commercial project of its kind.
He was also central to ensuring wave power – seen as vital to harnessing green jobs in the region – was lavished with the same level of subsidy in England as it is in Scotland.
The former Truro School pupil has also raised concern over the effectiveness and visual impact of wind turbines, which cause deep divisions across Devon and Cornwall.
He has called for a planning clampdown to block the march of wind turbines and – latterly – large solar farms.
He wrote on his website: "The sudden proliferation of random, single turbines is starting to blight the Cornish countryside. There is no uniformity.
"Some turbines are tall, some short. Some have two blades, some three. Some are black, some are white. And they are everywhere."
As well as his support for marine energy, Mr Eustice recently backed Friends of the Earth's Bee Cause campaign – which urged the government to help stem the rapid decline of bee populations in the UK.
More than 100 wind turbines cover the rural Westcountry, which has been targeted by developers and prompted criticism over their visual impact.
But there is deep unease among the Conservative ranks of the Government over the rise of wind farms.
Last year, then Tory Energy Minister John Hayes said turbines had been "peppered around the country" with little or no regard for local opinion – he said existing sites and those in the pipeline would be enough to meet green commitments with no need for more. But his views clashed with Liberal Democrat Secretary of State Ed Davey – a proponent of the technology.
It remains to be seen how influential the policy body will be. Mr Eustice said at the time of his appointment: "I am looking forward to getting to work on the new No 10 policy board. This Government has implemented some important reforms in areas such as education and welfare and we need to build on what has been started."
George Eustice, Tory MP for Camborne and Redruth, will advise the Prime Minister on energy policy. He is against the proliferation of wind farms but keen on marine energy – he has championed the Wave Hub off the coast of Hayle
