ANOTHER windfarm is planned for moorland around East Lancashire – with turbines reaching up to 125 metres.

Kelda Power is behind plans for the latest four between Bacup and Todmorden, south of Gorpley reservoir.

Five turbines were envisaged for the Yorkshire Water-owned land but the operator has scaled it back to four, to reduce visual impact for neighbours.

The proposals have emerged just after it was confirmed that Peel Energy wants to double the size of its Scout Moor windfarm.

Similar ventures are in the pipeline for Reaps Moss, Crook Hill and Todmorden Moor, and Scottish Power is looking to replace turbines at the Coal Clough windfarm at Cliviger.

The Kelda Power scheme was turned down by Calderdale planners 12 months ago because of the ‘cumulative effect’ on the landscape caused by the Reaps Moss, Crook Hill and Todmorden Moor plans.

Protesters had claimed the turbines would have been visible for miles. The Reaps Moss site is adjacent to the latest proposals.

Under the current application, 9.2 megawatts of power would be generated by turbines measuring from 110m to 125m from base to tip.

Andrew Mott, of York-based planning agents Arcus, said: “It is considered the development can be accommodated within the upland moorland landscape, where there is already wind energy infrastructure, without causing undue cumulative impacts or unacceptable visual effects.”

The Ministry of Defence and the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) expressed reservations but the MoD is understood to have withdrawn its objection and the NATS is ‘content’ measures can be undertaken to lessen the risk to aircraft.