Campaigners pushing for community to stop the latest wind farm plan

The largest onshore windfarm in the UK could be built on moorland to the north west of Rochdale – and people aren’t happy about it.

Scout Moor sits between Rochdale, Edenfield, and Rawtenstall and is already home to 26 wind turbines. The plan for ‘Scout Moor II’ would see another 21 bigger and more powerful wind turbines built just next door.

They would be capable of powering around 100,000 homes per year, which is around 10 per cent of Greater Manchester’s needs, according to the renewable energy developer Cubico Sustainable Investments.

For people in the towns in the shadow of these hills, the idea for more of these huge turbines is like déjà vu.

Going back two decades, the plan for the original 26-turbine windfarm was fielded, sparking a turbulent saga that is stirring once again.

A new campaign group has been created to oppose this plan. ‘Say NO to Scout Moor 2’ has been set up by the Friends of the Moors and they have serious concerns about what is being tabled by Cubico.

They say these new turbines will be higher than Blackpool Tower, dominate the valley, and provide little benefit to the environment.

Alan Billingsley, from Say NO to Scout Moor 2, said: “The folk living in and around here are getting increasingly alarmed as they get to realise the impact of the proposed Scout Moor 2 monster windfarm, another 21 turbines, all 180m high. Each one higher than Blackpool Tower.

“They will dominate this valley far and wide. No area will escape this harm to our treasured moorland landscape and heritage.

“We all want to protect the planet, have clear air, clean water and to reduce waste and pollution. However, despite its size, this wind farm will have no impact on global warming.

“In fact, by digging up our peat and replacing it with thousands of tonnes of concrete, it could make emissions worse. And that’s not even considering the potential impact on water courses and flooding.

“Our lovely, historically renowned Cotton Famine Road will be surrounded by towering noisy turbines. And what about the farms up there that are so essential to our local food chain? Do you think we will ever hear the skylarks soaring and singing again?”

For locals living on the periphery of Scout Moor, this is all too familiar. Back in the mid-2000s when the first wind farm was tabled by Peel, many opposed the plans – citing similar reasons to campaigners in 2025.

 

 

The campaigners at the time even managed to rope in television presenter, author and environmental campaigner David Bellamy to stop the new turbines. Just like Say NO to Scout Moor 2, they feared the high level of concrete used to keep the turbines standing would have irreversible damage to the peatlands in the area.

Despite their best efforts to stop Scout Moor Wind Farm happening, planning permission was granted in 2005 and construction started in 2007. These latest proposals are now the third attempt to expand on the moorland windfarm.

Plans were submitted to double the wind farm’s size in 2011, but campaigners were successful in getting it stopped. In 2015, reports from the time said a ‘scaled back’ version of the 2011 plan was put forward - this was also knocked back.

The Conservative government back in 2015 got involved and brought in new planning rules that effectively ruled out new onshore wind farm developments. Those rules have now been eased, so Scout Moor II marks the first major onshore wind farm development in England since the original plans were shelved a decade ago.

In recent years there has been a dramatic shift in support towards green power both in Whitehall and in the minds of the general public.

The scars from Scout Moor’s messy history are still telling though. Extra funding for the communities around the moorland, promised by the windfarm developers in the noughties, was not delivered, according to campaigners.

The promise of funding this time around by Cubico doesn’t wash for the people behind Say NO to Scout Moor 2. The group has also questioned what will happen when the turbines come to the end of their working life.

Alan Billingsley added: “What’s going to happen when they are obsolete? There is no chest of money to decommission.

“Our poor children will have a rotting landscape of static turbines and Cubico themselves have said that remediation of the moorland is impossible because they never intend to dig out and remove the arterial roads and turbine bases embedded into the moorland.”

Cubico claims this new wind farm, which will be run separately to the current Scout Moor site, could be operational before 2030 and could generate an estimated £200 million of investment and hundreds of skilled green jobs.

Before any planning permission is considered, there will be consultation with residents on the matter, the LDRS understands. The consultation will centre around the size and scale of the new turbines, so any specifics on the new turbines themselves will only be revealed later on down the line.

 

 

Cubico has created an interactive map showing that the majority of the 21 new wind turbines would be built on the eastern side of the moorlands. The additional turbines would bring the total number on Scout Moor up to 47, although they would not all be run by the same operator.

The next steps of this development would be a full planning application submitted to Rochdale and Rossendale councils. The most recent update on the plans was Cubico scoping the opinion of both local authorities.

This means that the councils will advise on the environmental impacts of the development before full planning permission is sought.

A spokesperson for Cubico said: “We appreciate the ongoing community discussion around Scout Moor II and are fully committed to open, transparent engagement. Based on feedback from the first consultation, we’re refining our plans and will hold a second consultation this spring to share updates, including our approach to moorland restoration, before submitting a planning application.

“As a long-term investor with a team in Greater Manchester, we’re focused on developing renewable energy projects that balance environmental protection with the UK’s energy transition. Our plans support the government’s Clean Power 2030 strategy which highlights the need for homegrown clean energy to strengthen energy security and cut carbon emissions.

“We know peatland and biodiversity matter to the community, and protecting them is a priority. That’s why our plans will include extensive restoration and hydrology protection, as well as a dedicated community wealth fund shaped by local priorities.

“We encourage residents to get involved, ask questions, and help shape a project that will deliver lasting benefits for the North West.”

George Lythgoe, Local Democracy Reporter