‘I don’t think they’ll look that nice if they’re going to be as high as Blackpool Tower.’
The roving hills as seen from Scout Moor with views of Manchester in the background(Image: LDRS)
Sunlight bounces off the light dusting of snow scattered across the moorlands that overlook Manchester, Rochdale and the far reaches of Lancashire.
It’s hard to believe this tranquil scene, without a soul in sight, is set to be the battleground between hardened campaigners and a wind turbine developer. Stepping onto a footpath off Edenfield Road, just past Norden, a bumpy route weaves towards the alternating white giants in the distance.
Crunching through the frosty moors in bone-chilling temperatures, a late Autumn sunshine hits the shimmering white wind turbines that sit at the centre of a colossal debate.
Scout Moor wind farm has dominated the skyline north of Manchester for two decades, now there is a plan to build 17 bigger, more powerful wind turbines on the cards. There are already 26 of the spinning electricity generators in operation on the hillside surrounded by Rochdale, Edenfield, Rossendale and Rawtenstall.
Scout Moor wind turbines(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
Cubico Sustainable Investments, a renewable energy developer, wants to create ‘Scout Moor II’. This would see 17 new wind turbines up to 180m tall erected on the eastern side of Scout Moor, capable of generating 100MW of clean electricity, powering around 100,000 homes per year.
Separate plans to expand the number of turbines on the moorlands have been tabled a few times in the last 15 years by different developers, but nothing has come of it. There is one group that wants yet another knock back to happen.
The ‘Say NO to Scout Moor 2’ group is made up of activists from the community surrounding Scout Moor. Residents from Prickshaw, Norden, Rawtenstall, Edenfield as well as members of the Rooley Moor Neighbourhood Forum and Rossendale Civic Trust all make up this brigade.
Scout Moor wind turbines(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
These campaigners are seasoned veterans when it comes to pushing back against new turbines, with many in the group being part of the successful refusals of previous proposals. This begged the question as to what the average person would think about the latest scheme put forward by Cubico, which would be run separately to the current wind farm.
To find answers, the Manchester Evening News scaled Scout Moor to speak to walkers enjoying the plethora of nature it has to offer.
Sophie Torbica’s dogs Rocco, Remi and Blue on Scout Moor(Image: LDRS)
Failsworth resident Sophie Torbica was taking her trio of mischievous mastiffs for a wander. Rounding up Rocco, Blue and Remi for a photo, she told the M.E.N: “I’ve come here once a week for six or seven years. I don’t think it’s an eyesore really.
“But they’re not always on. There are days when I think they should be working because it’s so windy.
“I come here because it’s nice, quiet and lovely. I understand why they have to dig down so deep into the peat to build them, but it’s about whether the reason for doing it outweighs the benefits.
“I guess I’m on the fence with this. I will look more into this now I know about it.”
The peaceful scenery is such a hidden gem that Sophie is the only human present on the moorside. The sheep seemed to like it up there, but offered little in the way of an opinion on wind turbines.
Norden village centre, Rochdale(Image: LDRS)
To get more views, the M.E.N headed down to the nearest Rochdalian area to Scout Moor – the village of Norden. Opinions on the wind farm expansion were divided, but the strength of feeling seemed minimal.
“To be honest, to us it doesn’t make that much difference,” Hilary Cachai explained. “If we lived right up there we probably wouldn’t like it because you’re taking up more of the land.
“It’s an eyesore isn’t it really. So I suppose if you live over that way I wouldn’t be happy about it.
“You just get used to them being there. Until you see a plan where they will be, you need to worry how they will look.
“I don’t think they’ll look that nice if they’re going to be as high as Blackpool Tower.”
Hilary Cachai (left) in Norden village with Barbara Thompson(Image: LDRS)
Walking with Hilary, Barbara Thompson added: “I think they’re an eyesore as well, I would be against the development.”
Just down the main high street, two Norden locals are sitting with coffees outside Catherine’s. They have a different mindset to Hilary and Barbara.
“I don’t think they’re an eyesore, I like the look of them,” one said. “We’ve got to get energy from somewhere haven’t we.
“It’s better than sending men down the coal pit like they used to. When you think back to what it was like when I was young when there was a thick smog, you could taste it because it was that thick.
“We want clean energy.”
Her fellow pensioner added: “I’m not against them. I think it’s lovely around there, I don’t go past thinking it’s a blot on the landscape.”
Robert Jackson, 59, from Bamford(Image: LDRS)
Another supporter of the project was Robert Jackson. The 59-year-old was on his way to pick up a newspaper from the shop when he stopped to talk about wind turbines.
He said: “I don’t mind them. I’m on board with the idea.
“It’s not in anyone’s way up there. At the moment I am happy with it, so what’s 17 more really.
“I wouldn’t like it if they said 217, but 17 doesn’t seem a lot. I do actually like the look of them now I’m looking at them.”
Back up Edenfield Road, just opposite the Co-op, Michael McNamara described how the general consensus amongst villagers was one of opposition to the idea of more turbines sitting on their horizon.
Michael McNamara, 62, with his pooch Scout (Image: LDRS)
Stood with border terrier Scout in tow, the 62-year-old told the M.E.N: “I don’t think they should have any more up there.
“I think they’re an eyesore, and I can see the point of renewables, but they’re still an eyesore.
“They could maybe have them further back so you can’t see them from the road. Most people I speak to are against it in the local area.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a strong feeling against them, but people just generally have a moan about them being an eyesore.”
The points of contention
Say NO to Scout Moor 2 campaigners sat in Norden Old Library(Image: LDRS)
Campaigners fear these new turbines – up to 180m including blade tip height – would be larger than Blackpool Tower and dominate the skyline. It was on visual impact that the last Scout Moor extension application, proposed by Scout Moor Wind Farm Expansion Limited, was severely scaled down by the planning inspector back in 2017.
The inspector, John Woolcock, recommended the Rossendale 14 wind turbines be refused and the two Rochdale turbines approved. However, those two turbines were never built.
One of the group’s biggest concerns is the destruction of the peatland during the construction of the turbines. Workers would have to dig through metres of peat in order to create enough space to build the turbine bases.
So much peat loss is something Say NO to Scout Moor 2 feel is irreplaceable, despite Cubico’s promise of a major moorland restoration scheme.
In response, Cubico says that for every hectare of peatland affected by the wind farm, they will restore ten. That means 346 hectares of the most degraded moorland would be repaired, an area about three times the size of Manchester’s Heaton Park.
Cubico says this would be done through blocking historic drainage channels; replanting native mosses like sphagnum; and carefully reusing peat removed during construction. They have submitted a Moorland Restoration and Management Plan and an Outline Peat Management Plan to councils with further details.
The campaign group is also sceptical as to how hundreds of jobs come from this project and benefit the local economy. According to Companies House, there are no employees at the existing Scout Moor wind farm – fueling speculation this newest wind farm would have a similar arrangement.
The wind turbines on Scout Moor(Image: LDRS)
Responding to this, a Cubico spokesperson said: “During the roughly two-year construction phase, the project will support the equivalent of 210 full-time jobs – 60 of those local to Rossendale and Rochdale.
“These include direct site jobs and wider supply chain roles, from civil works and haulage to environmental surveying and equipment supply.
“After construction, the wind farm will be monitored and managed remotely, but we’ll still employ a local asset management team and contract technicians to carry out inspections and maintenance.
“The peatland restoration and land management alone will create jobs over the full 40-year life of the project.”
Finances and the sheer scale of this development is another key concern for campaigners. They believe Rochdale and Rossendale councils, who would have joint decision making powers on the matter, don’t have the resources to deal with such a massive application.
Steve Davison, a long-term campaigner within the group, believes Cubico are playing down the massive undertaking this project would be. He previously shared with the M.E.N how he feels this location is just wrong.
Cubico says the money will come from private investment by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and PSP Investments – another Canadian pension investment company. They will be bankrolling the £140 million required to build the project.
About £50 million of this is planned to go directly into the local and regional economy, benefiting businesses in construction, engineering, transport, and other services.
Cubico has also proposed a long-term Community Wealth Fund, promising to deliver £20 million over the lifetime of the wind farm. It would offer a guaranteed £600,000 per year, linked to inflation, and based on £6,000 per MW of installed capacity.
The fund will be managed by a newly formed and independent Scout Moor Development Trust, chaired by a community liaison group made up of local representatives. Its purpose is to invest money back into the local community.
Last month ‘Say NO to Scout Moor 2’ issued a statement calling for more people to join their fight.
Ultimately they are worried about the noise these turbines generate; what happens to the heritage and artefacts found in the area; as well as the matter of how they look.
Timeline and next steps
The wind turbines on Scout Moor(Image: LDRS)
Next month, Cubico will be attending the Norden Area Forum to speak about the latest developments with the wind farm.
The planning application has been formally submitted to both Rochdale and Rossendale councils, who are the Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) responsible for determining the application.
Cubico has pointed out that all representations should be directed to the LPAs – who act as the decision-makers and as the conduit for all correspondence. Cubico will then have to provide the necessary responses, additional information, or, where appropriate, amendments to the scheme.
The renewable energy developers expect some form of changes being required in the scheme, meaning more consultation should be expected in early 2026. The current estimate for when the planning application would go before planning committees is in late 2026.
A spokesperson for Cubico said previously: “Scout Moor II is a £200+ million, privately funded investment by Cubico that would deliver England’s first new onshore wind farm in over a decade.
“Generating enough homegrown electricity to power 100,000 homes annually, the project combines clean energy with one of the largest moorland restoration schemes in Northern England, repairing 346 hectares of degraded peatland.
“Alongside the environmental benefits, it will create over 200 construction jobs, contribute more than £1million per annum in business rates for 40 years, and deliver a £20 million Community Wealth Fund for Rossendale and Rochdale – a legacy of growth and local investment.”