A planning application has been submitted for a 150-metre wind turbine on countryside between Todmorden and Bacup, with Calderdale Council required to determine matters concerning the primary access route.
O & G Wind (SPV 7) Ltd is seeking approval for the five megawatt installation at Reaps Moss, situated alongside an established windfarm that generated significant opposition when first proposed almost two decades ago along the Lancashire and Yorkshire boundary.
While Rossendale Council holds jurisdiction over the majority of the proposed development area, the site entrance is situated on Bacup Road in Todmorden, necessitating involvement from Calderdale planning officers.
Planning representatives Envams submitted supporting documentation confirming the scheme comprises a single commercial-scale turbine positioned on land at Reaps Moss, Henbury Hill Farm, Todmorden Road, Bacup.
According to Envams, the visual relationship between the proposed structure and the existing Reaps Moss complex means there are extremely few vantage points from which the new turbine would appear in isolation, despite its larger dimensions compared to the older installations.
Envams stated that due to viewing angle and observer distance, the 149.9 metre structure would typically be perceived as an extension of the existing windfarm rather than a standalone feature.
Approximately twenty years prior, substantial debate surrounded multiple windfarm proposals across the Todmorden, Bacup and Rossendale areas, with opponents raising concerns about cumulative visual impact across the region.
The planning agents indicated that a cumulative noise assessment has been conducted, accounting for background noise contributions from the existing Reaps Moss and Todmorden wind farms situated to the south and north of the proposed Henbury Hill turbine location.
The assessment employed a methodology endorsed by Rossendale Council which suggests potential minimal exceedances of daytime noise thresholds could occur under certain theoretical conditions, though such scenarios would be highly improbable in actual operation, according to the submission.
The proposed turbine carries an anticipated operational lifespan of fifty years if consent is granted.
Households residing within one kilometre of the proposed turbine location received consultation as part of the application process.
The application, registered as 26/00514/FUL, together with accompanying documentation, is available for examination via the council’s Planning Portal.