STROUD MP Neil Carmichael has defended himself after campaigners criticised him for helping to fight plans to erect wind turbines in the Berkeley Vale while simultaneously vying to install even bigger structures on his own land in Northumberland.

Ecotricity boss Dale Vince, who is currently locked in a planning row over a bid to build four 393-foot turbines between Stinchcombe and the A38, said Mr Carmichael’s position was ‘untenable’.

Jack Sant, chairman of action group Save Berkeley Vale, which is opposing the project on land adjacent to the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty near Stinchcombe, said he believed the whole issue was being blown out of proportion.

He said: "All the usual suspects are yelling hypocrisy but there's not necessarily a contradiction. There is a role for wind power in the right place."

Mr Carmichael first entered details of his proposal to erect four turbines of his own at Bavington Hill Head Farm in Northumberland in the House of Commons register of interests in October last year.

The 410-ft high turbines – rumoured to generate around £60,000 annually - would be sited near the Kirkharle Estate, which is listed in English Heritage’s Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.

Protesters claim they would blight views from the Grade I listed St Wilfred’s Church in Kirkharle Village.

In a statement, Mr Vince said: "Mr Carmichael says his project up north is very different to ours in Stroud because his is near a quarry but he seems oblivious of the fact that ours is next to the M5 and not far from a nuclear power station.

"The arguments he uses against our project are identical to those used by his opponents in Northumberland."

Mr Carmichael defended his position saying that Berkeley Vale, on the edge of the Cotswolds, was an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, whereas his land in Northumberland was very remote and not an AONB.

He said: "I support renewable energy and I think wind turbines have a major part to play.

"It is therefore appropriate to find suitable sites and in my judgement, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are not suitable but locations with very few residents are more likely to be suitable.

"I apply this logic to the building of houses where I have fought the development of Wades Farm (in the Slad Valley) but I accept that we do need to be building houses in other places to meet the demand."

An appeal by Ecotricity against Stroud District Council’s decision to refuse its application for the wind farm in the Berkeley Vale is due to get underway in January.