OPPONENTS of plans to build wind turbines close to the boundary of Dartmoor National Park have warned any such move would spell the end for tourism in the region. With the countdown underway to the beginning of a public inquiry into the wind turbine scheme being promoted by energy firm West Coast Energy, opponents launched a balloon to the same height as the proposed turbine on Tuesday to show the likely visual effect of the proposal. West Coast Energy is seeking to erect three turbines on land at Yelland Farm, on Bowerland Road, to the south of Okehampton. A West Devon businessman gathered together a number of the opponents to see the balloon go up. Unfortunately, the onlookers could only watch helplessly as the rope snapped and the balloon blew away. Simon Essex, who owns the Ashbury Golf Club and Manor House Hotel described the possible siting of wind turbines so close to Dartmoor as ?the biggest issue facing Okehampton since the formation of the National Park 50 years ago?. Mr Essex said if the inspector found in favour of the renewable energy company it would be a ?savage? decision? which would be ?hugely detrimental? to the area, because tourists would be deterred from visiting rural areas dotted with turbines. ?It is about who wins: the national argument or the local argument, that is the name of the game now,? he added. He said if the appeal was allowed, it would mark the ?beginning of the end of the Dartmoor National Park? and would ?reverse the substantial economic growth? of the area that has been a major factor in the last 20 years. Mr Essex said the hotel ran guided walks on Dartmoor almost every day of the year for its guests. ?During 2005, we took more than 6,000 of our guests on guided walks on Dartmoor.? Mr Essex said for the majority of his guests who came from crowded suburbia, Dartmoor was ?a breath of fresh air with far reaching views of the surrounding wilderness and countryside?. He was writing personally to the more than 1,400 people who had objected to the original planning application, to tell them how they could best continue to fight the application as it went to the inquiry stage. The public inquiry into the proposal to site wind turbines at Yelland Farm gets underway in the Charter Hall, Okehampton on Tuesday, June 20. The inquiry is scheduled to last for up to two weeks, and there will be a three-hour evening session on Thursday, June 22, where local people who work during the day will be able to make their views on the scheme known. West Coast Energy say the 3.9MW of wind capacity at Yelland would make an important contribution towards helping the South West meet its renewable energy targets. West Coast Energy says once built, the turbines would generate in the region of 10,250Mwh of electricity each year, sufficient for approximately 2,180 homes from a clean and sustainable energy source. This represents the domestic electricity needs of 90% of the households in Okehampton or 10% of the domestic needs in West Devon Borough. A SCHEME to build a wind farm at Den Brook near North Tawton which was refused planning permission in January, has been revived with the announcement on Tuesday that Renewable Energy Systems (RES) will appeal against the decision. The applicant?s proposed nine turbine project was turned down by West Devon Borough Council?s planning committee in January. The company says the scheme will generate electricity equivalent to the annual needs of around half of West Devon and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas. Project manager Rachel Ruffle said: ?We have considered carefully the reasons for the council?s refusal and listened to the views of local people. ?We can only conclude that the council?s decision was flawed. It really is just common sense to generate electricity locally from clean and natural resources. ?Many ordinary people support the wind farm in the face of rising fuel prices and insecurity about where our energy will come from in the future, and also because they have a desire to do something positive about climate change. ?We are confident that an examination of the facts about this project, at public inquiry, will conclude that it is a well-designed project that will help the region meet its renewable energy targets and should, on balance, be allowed to go ahead.? The project was originally submitted to West Devon Borough Council last November, following survey work, design and consultation with energy experts. Mrs Ruffle said: ?Many people in Devon were dismayed and surprised when the project was refused and I have had lots of encouragement to keep going and to appeal the decision. We have also been commended for the open and inclusive way in which we conducted our consultation with local residents, as part of a new best practice protocol for community engagement ? an approach that created a lot of support for the project from people in the area.? She added: ?While there is vocal opposition in the immediate vicinity largely due to concerns about the visual impact, there is widespread support for wind power in Devon.? She said evidence for this could be found in a MORI poll in 2004, which showed 71% of rural Devon residents support the use of wind power in the county, with just 18% opposed.? Maureen Thomson, chair of the Den Brook Valley Action Group set up to oppose the scheme said: ?We will look at the appeal, see what is involved, and we shall contest it, in the strongest possible terms.? The appeal against West Devon Borough decision has been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate who will then announce a date and place for the public inquiry.