Yahoo News 'We wouldn't want to live here anymore' say some amid plans to build biggest windfarm in England on Lancashire's moors
Residents living close to an onshore windfarm have voiced concerns about plans which would see the site become the largest in England.
Cubico Sustainable Investments has unveiled plans to extend the existing 26-turbine Scout Moor Windfarm, between Rossendale and Rochdale, by adding an additional 21 turbines to the site.
Although Bury Metropolitan Borough Council supported the current windfarm, objections were raised by Lancashire County Council, Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council and Rossendale Borough Council, and a public enquiry was held in November and December 2004.
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The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry gave formal consent to the application for the development of the £50m windfarm in May 2005 with the site opening in 2008.
In August 2015 planning permission was granted by Rossendale Borough Council to add a further 14 turbines at Scout Moor but the plans drew many objections from residents and two petitions were launched by local MPs opposing the scheme. In 2017 The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid overruled Rossendale Council's decision.
Cubico Sustainable Investments, which is behind the latest project, have argued that Scout Moor II could bring an estimated £200million of investment and generate enough clean electricity to power over 100,000 homes.
Scout Moor overlooks Edenfield, Bacup and Whitworth in Lancashire. Frances, who has lived in Edenfield for "40-odd years", doesn't believe the proposed extension will be visible from her home in Scout Road.
"They had to build this access road to allow them to get to the site when they built the existing windfarm," Frances told LancsLive. "Since Scout Moor Quarry was sold we haven't had much traffic passing by here.
"From the map of the proposed new windfarm I think it will be more visible from the Whitworth side of the hills. It doesn't bother me too much, you occasionally hear the 'swish, swish' sound but that's it really.
"If they were almost doubling the size though I imagine they'd use this road to access the site which would be a concern for us."
Joy and Rob (above) have lived in Knott Hill for 38 years. Had they not already been in the final stages of selling their home, as they prepare to move to Wales, they admit that the windfarm extension would have made them consider moving.
"I wouldn't want to live here anymore with a load of wind turbines towering over us," Rob said. "It would be the visual impact more than anything.
"By their very nature these windfarms are never going to be built in the middle of a city so they will effectively spoil the countryside and views for people who lives in rural areas."
Cubico's proposal comes after the Labour government lifted the de facto ban on new onshore windfarms put in place by the previous Conservative government nine years ago. The 100 megawatt Scout Moor II development will be the first onshore windfarm in the country for a decade if the plans are approved by Rossendale and Rochdale councils.
