Plans to spend millions on wind farm gets short shrift

Chris Greaves, an Independent Bradford councillor, was speaking after Banks Renewables revealed plans for the proposed Thornton Moor scheme, which would be situated on moorland to the south of Denholme.

In the coming months various technical assessments will be undertaken to assess the potential for a wind farm.

It is expected that if a planning application is submitted and approved, it would encompass up to four turbines, and would have an installed capacity of up to 8MW.

The power would be enough to meet the annual power consumption needs of up to 4,400 homes - or that of a town three times the size of Denholme.

Coun Greaves said: “All these schemes are notoriously inefficient and none of them would be constructed were it not for the government chucking huge sums of money at them in subsidies.

“They will have an adverse effect on house prices and there is the destruction of the countryside to consider - they are a noisy eyesore.

“If they were out to sea where people can’t see the damn things or as part of an industrial complex that would be OK.”

Phil Dyke, development director at Banks, said: “The scheme would represent a significant capital investment by Banks in the local economy at a time when few companies are undertaking such projects.

“Employment and commercial opportunities for local firms would be created in the construction phase of the scheme.

“In addition to this, the community benefits fund that would run alongside it would provide around £10,000 funding each year for local volunteer groups community organisations and environmental projects through the lifetime of the scheme, thus significantly enhancing the area in which it is based in the long-term.

“The Thornton Moor scheme has the potential to both make a major contribution to low carbon energy generation in West Yorkshire, and to have a very positive impact on the local community.

“We will continue to work closely with local communities as we move towards finalising our planning application.”