More than 100 Tory MPs have written to David Cameron calling for a dramatic cut in subsidies to onshore wind farms and more influence for people to stop them being built.

In a major revolt, they joined forces with politicians from other parties to express serious concerns over the level of taxpayers’ money going to the sector.

Among the 101 are eight MPs from all across the West: Robert Walter, North Dorset; Aidan Burley, Cannock Chase; Jacob Rees-Mogg, North East Somerset; Justin Tomlinson of North Swindon; Richard Drax, South Dorset; Neil Parish, Tiverton and Honiton; James Gray, North Wiltshire; and Ian Liddell-Grainger, Bridgwater and West Somerset.

Help for wind farms is being cut – slowly – under plans set out by ministers last year.

But in what will be an early headache for new Energy Secretary Ed Davey, the MPs demanded an acceleration.

“In these financially straitened times, we think it is unwise to make consumers pay, through taxpayer subsidy, for inefficient and intermittent energy production that typifies onshore wind turbines,” they wrote in the letter, seen by the Sunday Telegraph.

They also expressed concerns that the proposed National Planning Policy Framework “diminishes the chances of local people defeating onshore wind farm proposals through the planning system”.

Critics say the giant turbines are a blot on the countryside and could cause health problems.

Plans are in place for turbines at Pilrow in Somerset and Berkeley Vale in South Gloucestershire, among others. There was also controversy surrounding Honda’s failed plans to build turbines at its plant in Swindon, on which it last week said it would not appeal.

The signatories, drawn together by backbencher Chris Heaton-Harris, include senior figures such as David Davis, Bernard Jenkin and Nicholas Soames as well as many of the new intake.

Among them is Matthew Hancock, a close ally of Chancellor George Osborne – which will raise suggestions that the Treasury is sympathetic.

Downing Street said: “The Government has commissioned a review of subsidy levels and we are already proposing a cut for onshore wind subsidies.

“We are committed to giving local communities the power to shape the spaces in which they live and are getting rid of regional targets introduced by the last government.”

In the letter, which Number 10 said it had received, the critics said they had “grown more and more concerned about the Government’s policy”, adding: “We would urge you to ensure that planning inspectors know that the views of local people and long-established planning requirements should always be taken into account.”