Rochdale Council recommend to reject Rooley Moor wind farm planning application

Protest walk against Rooley Moor Wind Farm

Rochdale Council has recommended that plans for a 12 turbine wind farm on the border of Rossendale be rejected.

It is understood that all three township planning sub-committees unanimously voted to reject the application in meetings last week.

Coronation Power submitted proposals for a wind farm on Rooley Moor to Rochdale Council and Rossendale Council in September, as it lies on the boundary between the two authorities.

Planning officers in Rochdale have now recommended that the bid by Coronation Power be rejected as the moor is green belt land and they believe that turbines would damage the heritage of the area.

Coronation Power Managing Director, Vikram Mirchandani said: “If the application is refused, we will appeal it. The councils own landscape experts have said that this is a good spot for a wind farm so to turn it down now for silly reasons, when they have said it is a suitable site, would see us appeal the decision.

“The same thing happened with Crook Hill Wind Farm and we appealed that decision and it is now being built. We feel that an inspector would overturn the decision so if we have to appeal it, we will.”

A final decision on the plans will be made by Rochdale Council Planning Committee on Thursday 25 June.

Rossendale Council are yet to make a decision on the application.