A group called “Say NO to Scout Moor 2” is opposing a plan to build 17 new wind turbines on Scout Moor, a windswept area north of Manchester. The new turbines would be up to 180m tall, making them larger than Blackpool Tower, and would generate 100MW of clean electricity, enough to power around 100,000 homes per year. The group, made up of local residents and community activists, is concerned about the visual impact of the turbines, as well as the potential destruction of peatland during construction.
The peatland on Scout Moor is a sensitive ecosystem that stores carbon dioxide, and the group fears that digging through the peat to build the turbine bases would release carbon dioxide and damage the environment. Cubico, the developer behind the project, has promised to restore 346 hectares of degraded peatland, an area roughly three times the size of Manchester’s Heaton Park, but the group is skeptical about the effectiveness of this plan.
The group is also concerned about the potential impact on the local economy, questioning how many jobs would be created and whether they would be local. Cubico claims that the project would support 210 full-time jobs during the construction phase, with 60 of those jobs being local to Rossendale and Rochdale. However, the group points out that the existing Scout Moor wind farm has no employees, and that maintenance and inspections would likely be carried out by external contractors.
The finances behind the project are also a concern, with the group questioning how the £140 million required to build the project would be funded. Cubico says that the money would come from private investment, with £50 million going directly into the local and regional economy. The group is also skeptical about the proposed Community Wealth Fund, which would deliver £20 million over the lifetime of the wind farm, questioning how the fund would be operated and whether the money would come from government contracts or private investment.
The next stage of the planning process will involve Cubico waiting for the first round of planning permission to be approved, followed by further public consultation and engagement. The developer will also need to generate data to assess the environmental conditions on the moorland, including wind data, before construction can begin. The group “Say NO to Scout Moor 2” will continue to oppose the project, citing concerns about the visual impact, environmental damage, and potential impact on the local economy.