THE Government has ruled out any proposals for an offshore wind farm in Lyme Bay.

THE Government has ruled out any proposals for an offshore wind farm in Lyme Bay.

The decision has been welcomed by Sidmouth/Sidford Devon County Councillor Stuart Hughes, who opposed the idea earlier this year.

He said: "I wasn't in favour of Lyme Bay being considered as there was too much at stake environmentally with the World Heritage Site Jurassic Coast and other designations.

"Lyme Bay is a virtual port and is used as a shelter by ships in stormy weather. A wind farm would have been a danger and any ship colliding with an offshore wind turbine could very well see a serious pollution incident occurring which would spell disaster for our tourism economy.

"I also believe there were objections from the Navy, who use Lyme Bay for training purposes."

Now the Vision Group for Sidmouth has launched a survey of public opinion on future energy production as part of an update to its Vision report from 2006.

It says: "Members of the Vision Group have reported at meetings that there is a growing recognition in the Sid Valley of the serious need to generate renewable energy in the face of climate change and our dependence on finite fossil fuels such as Russian gas and Middle East oil.

"People believe we should set an example of clean energy production for the growing economies of other continents.

"Our vision of a secure and environmentally-sound future, based on clean renewable energy from regional wind, wave and tidal flow, has been accompanied by serious reservations about the proposed Lyme Bay wind-farm."

Welcoming the decision it says there is an urgent need to seriously consider the option of micro-energy production from renewable sources in East Devon.

The group hopes to summarise the views of Sidmouth residents after its survey.

Copies of the questionnaire, Our Energy Future, are available from Sidmouth Post Office or Kaieteur, Fore Street.

The next public meeting of Sid Valley Energy Action Group is at 6 pm on Tuesday October 28 at the Anchor, Old Fore Street.