Crook Hill windfarm plans are blown away

The Regulatory Committee at Rochdale Council has turned down the decision to build a small wind farm at Crook Hill.

The committee acted on the thoughts of Pennines Township Councillors, who met last week to recommend that the Council turn down the planning application for four wind turbines.

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.

Rochdale's MP Paul Rowen expects that Coronation Power will put in another appeal to have the decision overturned.

Mr Rowen said: "This decision is welcome and I thank members of the Regulatory Committee for following the recommendations of the Pennines Township. I have a feeling though that this is just the start of the fight and campaigners have my full support against any appeal from Coronation Power.

I thank campaigners for their fight so far led by a number of committed campaigners.

"This application is a contradiction in terms - it is marketed as good for the environment but in fact does quite the opposite. The effect on the natural habitat at Crook Hill will be deeply damaging, there are also questions about how the local roads, residents, industries and services in Calderbrook and other areas could cope during the construction phase.

"These are expensive symbols without doing much to contribute to our energy supply. They will destroy the South Pennine environment and I will work with campaigners in the fight against the destruction of the Pennine moorland."