The major wildfire that broke out on Scout Moor should not impact the planned wind farm scheme for the moorland, it is believed.
The major wildfire that broke out on Scout Moor should not impact the planned wind farm scheme for the moorland, it is believed.
On Monday night (March 23), the huge blaze broke out on the moors between Rochdale, Edenfield and Rawtenstall. Pictures and video footage shared across social media showed the flames visible from 20 miles away, with smoke pluming from the hills.
An arson investigation has since been launched by Greater Manchester Police.
The land is currently home to a 26-turbine wind farm, with plans for another one currently in the works – Scout Moor II. Cubico Sustainable Investments is the developer behind the scheme wanting to build 17 bigger, more powerful wind turbines.
Cubico has confirmed their meteorological mast is still in operation, producing monitoring data for their scheme. It is understood the fire did not take place on the section of moorlands where they plan to build.
There is no expectation this fire should impact Cubico’s plans for the land.
A Cubico spokesperson said: “We are aware of reports of a fire on Scout Moor and are monitoring the situation closely. Our immediate concern is for the safety of local residents, emergency services and all those affected.
“We would like to thank the emergency services for their swift response. We were not able to access the site on Wednesday following the fire. Based on the information currently available, and our monitoring data from the meteorological mast, the fire appears to have been in the vicinity of the existing wind farm rather than within the area of Cubico’s proposed Scout Moor II project.
“We will undertake a site visit as soon as access is possible to confirm conditions on the ground; however, our initial data indicates that the meteorological mast remains fully operational.
“As part of our proposals for Scout Moor II, we are also bringing forward a programme of moorland restoration and management, which is expected to support the long-term resilience of the moor, including in relation to fire risk.
“We will continue to monitor developments and will provide further updates if required.”
If the scheme is approved by both Rochdale and Rossendale councils, it is anticipated to be the largest onshore wind farm in England. The new wind farm would be capable of generating 100MW of clean electricity, powering around 100,000 homes per year, according to developer Cubico.
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