Britain does not need more onshore wind farms, British energy minister Greg Barker said on Sunday, in a obvious diversion from former energy secretary Chris Huhne's ambitious energy strategy.

Barker, the Minister of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), told the Sunday Times that there would be no significant expansion in the number of turbines on land beyond those already in the pipeline.

"Far from wanting thousands more, actually for most of the wind we need ... they are either built, being developed, or in planning. The notion that there's some spectra of a new wave of wind (farm) is somewhat exaggerated," he said.

Just five months ago, his department unveiled an ambitious plan for wind power in a report published by Huhne.

Huhne was an enthusiastic proponent of wind power, who in the report called for up to 32,000 new wind turbines, 10,000 of which could be onshore. Britain now has about 3,000 onshore turbines, with a few hundred offshore.

Barker dismissed the 10,000 figure, saying: "It's about being balanced and sensible." He wanted a focus on offshore farms and admitted some onshore locations had been misguided, which are in unsuitable locations - too close to houses or in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Chris Huhne quitted his job as energy secretary as well as a British cabinet member in this February when he was charged with perverting the course of justice over a 2003 speeding case. His successor is Edward Davey, whose role oversees ministers at DECC.