GOVERNMENT moves to make building windfarms and renewable energy projects easier have been given a cautious welcome in the North-East.

The new guidelines are designed to overcome the many planning hurdles developers can face when putting up wind turbines and other green energy plants.

But countryside groups hope the planning guidance will not open floodgates for a host of windfarms to be put up, overshadowing the region's stunning countryside.

"I'm concerned that this is a quick fix to environmental concerns, more and more wind turbines are threatening some of the region's best landscape," said Nic Best, regional policy officer for the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).

Mr Best said the CPRE wanted the Government to look at better ways to conserve energy and introduce community technology to reduce the need for windfarms.

The region has been earmarked as the potential home for dozens of wind turbines, including sites in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The North-East Renewable Energy Strategy, currently out for public consultation, calls for 525 megawatts of electricity to be produced from renewable sources by 2020, more than 30 times the amount currently produced.

The guidelines were warmly welcomed by the renewable energy industry.

Chris Tomlinson, head of onshore wind at British Wind Energy Association, said: "At long last we have a clear national stance that sets out the importance of developing wind and other renewables at a regional, county and local level.

"This new policy statement makes clear that positive planning which facilitates renewable energy developments will help us achieve our common goals on climate change."