Councillors deal a blow to Crook Hill wind turbines

Plans by Coronation Power to build four wind turbines on Crook Hill received a blow last night (Wednesday 23 October) as Pennines Township Councillors recommended that the Council refuse the planning application.

Councillors made the recommendation to the Regulatory Committee, which meets next week.

Earlier this year Coronation Power were refused permission to build a larger wind farm on Crook Hill. They publicly appealed the decision but then put in another planning application for the smaller scheme.

Councillors were critical of the fact Coronation Power had made late changes to the plans by altering the access to the proposed site and voted unanimously to turn down the application.

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen welcomed the decision.

He said: "I am pleased that common sense has prevailed in this long running saga. It was the unanimous decision of the committee to turn it down on sound instructions from Council Officers. What we must remember is that the effectiveness of wind power is not the issue - even though I would argue that in this case the environmental damage would outweigh any benefits.

"There are many reasons why I am against this. Not only will they have a massive visual impact on the area, being 410 feet high and with an individual blade length of over 200 feet, but I am also concerned over the access and the impact of any wind turbines to Rochdale's water supply, already suffering from flooding - indeed a formal objection was lodged by United Utilities about the impact for flooding.

"The Pennines has suffered more than most with flooding and I simply do not want to see any development adding to this. I have been criticised by the Labour Party in particular for my objections but this development will do more to damage our environment than help it."