OPPONENTS of the latest wind farm proposal for Teesdale have voiced their concerns about what they see as a lack of consultation.

As many as 25 turbines could be erected on a ridge between the A66 and the Stang Forest near Barnard Castle if the idea mooted in a consultation document is progressed.

The document covers renewable energy proposals for the region and is the subject of a three-month consultation period which ends today. But potential objectors are annoyed at the lack of publicity surrounding its publication by the North East Assembly.

Jo Bird, an access officer for the Ramblers' Association and a member of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, has informed as many parties as possible since it was brought to her attention at the weekend.

"This is supposedly in the public domain, yet nobody seems to know about it," she said.

Miss Bird, who lives at Stainton Village near Barnard Castle, said she had responded as an individual, backed by evidence from the Ramblers' Association nationally.

"The national view is that much more effort should be put into energy efficiency and making the best use of what is already in place," she said. "It is not just the turbines that we find an eyesore, it is the fact that wild areas will be spoiled by the infrastructure surrounding them.

"These things need roads and firm foundations, so you are talking about pouring concrete into the ground," she added. "The dale's greatest asset is its unspoiled beauty. I urge all concerned about preventing damage to the landscape to express their views, even though today is the last day for consultation."

The document, and a shorter summary, were sent to some organisations around the region and made available on the internet. But Miss Bird said it should have been given a much higher profile, much earlier, in the areas it could affect.

Caroline Oldridge, policy officer for the North East Assembly, felt the document had been widely publicised.

"The responses will be studied by the Assembly in January," she said. "Once the feedback has been considered it will make recommendations and amendments to take it forward."

She gave assurances that there would then be an opportunity to make further representations.

But Elizabeth Mann of Darlington, who four years ago mounted a successful campaign against a proposed wind farm at Barningham, said: "Consultation at the moment is undemocratic. The people whose lives are going to be affected know nothing about this.

"Consultation needs to be just that, for tourists as well as locals. And it needs to come through the media, which doesn't seem to know about this either," she added.

The site at the Stang is one of 14 in the region identified as potential wind farms, which could be in place in the next 15 years.

* A planning application has this week been submitted to Darlington Borough Council for the erection of a 50 metre tower at Brusselton Lane near Royal Oak.

If approved, the tower will be in place for up to two years, gathering meteorological data such as wind speed and air pressure to assess the site's potential as a wind farm, said Jonathan Levy, a spokesman for EDF Energy.

Mrs Mann urged anyone who wanted to comment about that site to make their representations to Steve Buckley, PB Power, Amber Court, William Armstrong Drive, Newcastle NE4 7YQ.