Your Comments and Objections
Thanks for helping to Stop Calderdale Wind Farm
Objections from Jon T on Hebweb, 9 April 2024
‘We've seen the moor map with crosses representing individual windmills. How about showing the necessary roads and manoeuvring spaces for the 250 meter blades. How will they get there? What is the expected life? Then what? In the USA they have vast dumps of damaged and lightning struck blades out in the desert - are they planning to just leave them or kick the can down the road in that political way - safe in the knowledge that the next generation will have got used to it. The moor, of course, will be destroyed. The floods will come for a small gain in energy in the overall scheme of things - green it ain't!
Objections from Anne Rosalyn Helliwell on Hebweb, 8 April 2024
‘I was born in Hebden Bridge 80 years ago. Walking on Walshaw moorland has always been an uplifting, peaceful, regenerating place to enjoy. Building the reservoirs must have been disrupting at the time, but visually add, rather than impede, to the scene, whereas enormous windmills will totally ruin the peace. A few years ago we successfully fought against turbines on moors above Pecket Well. How "they" choose to despoil "our" countryside purely for the money they will make fills me with rage.’
Letter from Mary Lawrence to Hebden Bridge Times, 29 March 2024
‘I write in response to the plans to erect a large wind farm on Walshaw Moor above Hebden Bridge. If it were to go ahead it would transform 9 square miles of wild and beautiful moorland into an industrial area with 65 massive turbines each one having a large concrete base and a crane pad, not to mention a large array of solar panels and a battery storage facility, plus miles of access tracks constructed by quarrying on site. The construction of all these would result in the destruction of a rare and very special area of peat moorland, which is supposed to be protected by its designations as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Area and Special Area of Conservation.
What the developers don’t mention is that peat is an important carbon sink akin to the rainforest, and that when it is dug up it dries out and releases it’s CO2 into the atmosphere-negating the claimed benefits of the emissions that would be saved by the wind farm. I must also take issue with their claims that they would include ‘enhanced flood mitigation measures to help reduce the risk of flooding.’ The blanket bog that they propose to dig up is a natural flood defence in itself which soaks up rainfall like a sponge and helps to slow the flow of water into the valleys below.’
Objections from Marjorie Cheetham, 9 March 2024
‘I live in Mytholmroyd, & I am getting in touch with regard to the Stop Calderdale Wind Farm campaign. A lot of people, including myself, were unaware of the size, numbers, height, ecological & environmental implications and consequent devastation to man, bird & beast until a leaflet was put in my letterbox. I was born & raised on these moors, they are precious, therefore I would like to join the protest. I have signed up to the website and written a letter to Calderdale Planning outlining my objections to this grotesque application.’
Article on Hebweb Discussion Forum by Carl Lawrence, 25 Feb 2024 (reproduced by kind permission of Carl Lawrence)
Permit me to make a contribution to the scientific / technological aspect of the ongoing debate i.e the calculation of the CO2 footprint of a wind farm on peatland. When making an assessment what is termed a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) should be undertaken in accordance with the international standard methodologies ISO 14040 and ISO 14044, and the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. An LCA requires the CO2 emissions to be determined under the following categories:
Manufacture.
This includes the production of the raw materials (steel, aluminium, copper wires, carbon fibre, glass fibre , concrete, etc) needed to produce the towers, the nacelles (comprising the generators, gear wheels, electric motors - each fitted with a gearbox for yawing the blades- and the breaking system to halt blade rotation during very high wind speeds); the hubs, the blades, nuts and bolts, reinforcing steel rods and bars for the reinforced concrete foundations; the grid connection cables and the various electronic components for the control systems.Transport.
The transportation of the raw materials used to produce the different components of the wind turbines, the transport of the turbine components to the wind farm site and the movement of vehicles and machinery during erection, assembly and operation of the wind turbines.On-site Erection and Assembly.
This stage involves extensive ground engineering; preparation and building the foundations for each base of the turbine towers; assembling the various sections of the towers; fitting the nacelles onto the top of the towers; and finally fitting the hubs and turbine blades to the nacelles.
(Video showing typical ground engineering of the foundations for onshore wind turbines)Operation/Maintenance
Maintenance of the turbines includes oil changes, the changes of coolant for the generators, the removal and replacement of turbine parts, and the transport of all these items.Decommissioning:
This involves the dismantling of the turbines and the transportation of waste from the site to the locations for disposal; the current scenario includes recycling some components, depositing inert components in landfill and recovering other materials where possible, such as lubricants.
Where there are high energy requirements, the attributed CO2 levels will be high. As an example, one such area is the manufacture of wind turbine blades (WTB). These gigantic blades, 50m - 75m, are made with a combination of carbon fibre reinforced plastic and glass fibre reinforced plastic. The production of both types of fibre is energy intensive. For instance, carbon fibre is manufactured by refining oil to obtain acrylonitrile, then converting this into fibres and heat treating the fibres to remove all the organics, leaving only carbon in a fibrous form. Due to the high-treatment temperatures involved (1000℃ up to 2000℃), 20 tonnes of CO2 are emitted to manufacture 1 tonne of carbon fibre. I could refer to many further examples including the concrete needed for the foundations of the turbines and standing platforms, also the geotextiles, geogrids, geomembranes and geopipes required for the ground engineering of access roads and housing underground the high voltage electric cables.
The UK's CO2 predictions for wind farms are based on a mathematical model referred to as the Carbon Calculator Tool (CCT). It was devised by Professor Jo Smith of Aberdeen University and adopted and recommended by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. However, the CCT does not take a detailed account of the CO2 attributed to the various materials used and therefore cannot, and does not, provide a rigorous Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). Reportedly, "This analysis may be prohibitively expensive on a site-by-site basis, so generic data (assumed values / fudge factors) are provided as alternatives."
The carbon tool is, therefore, primarily focused on the CO2 emissions that may result from the soil disturbance through the ground engineering of the site when constructing the wind farm, also during its operation and decommissioning. But here too researchers have pointed to its shortcomings. One major criticism is that data used to evaluate a particular wind farm proposal mainly depend on the developer's site plans and intentions for appropriately carrying out the construction. These can often be optimistic, and underestimates of the soil disturbance in preparing the turbine base can be made. Unintentional drainage may result for hundreds of metres round each turbine base. As is well known, peat needs waterlogged anaerobic conditions to retain the carbon in the partially decomposed plant matter obtained through photosynthesis when the plant matter was alive. Hence, the drainage would potentially release high levels of CO2 from the peat. The process is slow but unstoppable, according to botanist Mike Hall of the Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
A notable number of peatland soil experts are now warning against any further wind farm development on deep peat, and even questioning the idea of construction on shallow peat. Dr Guaduneth Chico of Nottingham Trent University, who specialises in blanket bog erosion, says "there is currently a lack of understanding regarding the long-term impacts on peatland carbon …. [and] that windfarms installed on …… peatland would not result, in the long-term, a net carbon benefit". Professor Jo Smith (the CCT developer) states: "The science has moved forward. There's now more information available that could help reduce two uncertainties: the extent of drainage, and the efficacy of restoration of peatlands. Therefore, I completely agree with reviewing it [the CCT]." Current results show that, whereas in 2010 wind farms on most sites had the potential to provide net carbon savings, [now] as less fossil fuel gets used in electricity generation, by 2040 most sites will not reduce carbon emissions even with careful management. "…….. [So] unless the volume of peat excavated can be significantly reduced relative to energy output, we suggest that construction of wind farms on non-degraded peats should always be avoided."
Objections from Helen B, 24 Feb 2024
‘We need massive investment in green schemes to reach net zero. However, the Walshaw Moor site is inappropriate for environmental reasons. Professor Joseph Holden, a specialist in peatland and water at Leeds University, says that wind farms should not be built on peat. "As a peatland scientist, when you see the disturbance and damage to peatland on a windfarm site it's devastating. These systems have grown for thousands of years, slowly accumulating this carbon. We should be doing everything we can to keep that carbon in our land and put our windfarms elsewhere, where the carbon impact won't be as great. There are plenty of windy spots high up on other hills with much thinner, non-peaty soils that could provide a better location for a windfarm."
The Carbon Calculator requires the input of accurate data such as the depth of peat across the site and the volume of peat extraction for roads and turbine foundations, which the developers for Walshaw Moor have not yet determined. I am concerned that there is no real oversight of the accuracy of the data that is going to be collected by the developers. We need an independent peat expert to check and evaluate the data that will be collected.
Open Letter to Calderdale Council from Horatio Clare Writer, Journalist and Broadcaster, 4 Feb 2024 (reproduced by kind permission of Horatio Clare)
‘I am writing to register my opposition to the proposed Calderdale Wind Farm on the Walshaw Moor Estate. I am entirely in favour of wind energy, and entirely against generating it there. That particular fragment of the Pennines, that fraction of Britain, is unique. I am a nature and travel writer. I have written about a lot of extraordinary places around the world. The awful truth is, there aren’t very many of them left in Britain. But this is one. Curlews, plover, lapwings, wheatears, chats, oystercatcher, hares, swallows, swifts, martins, short eared owls – and in a profusion you never see any more, in numbers you only find in books and pictures from the 1970s. A little bit of miraculous old Britain is still there. It really is a miracle. I am writing you to ask you to preserve it.’
‘Once we start destroying Sites of Special Scientific Interest, once we erase the few jewels we have left – the earth is abused and we are terribly diminished, in a very deep way. I hope our children will want to show and share what we have here across their worlds. I think we must look after the riches of this place for them. I think it is not just that birds and wild animals give depth and meaning to our moments, our walks, our days, our lives. I think it is also that without them, without other species, humans are left alone on a bare planet, lonesome rulers of a rock stripped for power and for money. And that isolation, that destruction, seems to make it all pointless. I think we lose peace, and meaning, and ease, and joy, and connection, and proportion when we lose nature – or, worse, when we destroy it.’
‘The map of the turbines and their size, is terrifying. You cannot look at it and believe there will be anything left of the moor, the birds, the animals. It is a terrible irony that this should be the proposed site, because I can honestly say, hand on heart, I don’t believe there is a site of upland biodiversity to match it for fifty miles in any direction. Although wind energy is exactly the right thing to do, this is exactly the wrong place.’
Blog by Hannah Nunn Lighting and Wallpaper Designer in Hebden Bridge, 7 Feb 2024 (reproduced by kind permission of Hannah Nunn)
‘It's not just about spoiling our epic views. Each one of these turbines would be over 200 metres tall (that's 42 metres taller than the Blackpool Tower) and each turbine would need it's own road and all this would be happening on our precious carbon sequestering peat bog. Building the turbines here would release MORE carbon than the turbines would generate in their short life, which is only about 25 years. Peat bogs are just as important as rainforests! They have been forming for thousands of years. You can't just replace them when they are gone. Paving over the moors above us poses a huge flood risk to our already at risk town.’
‘Then there are the ground nesting birds that return to the moor each spring. Curlews, golden plovers, lapwings, skylarks, redshanks and snipe. Oh my goodness, these birds are already endangered.’
‘This is NOT about green energy. It's all about money. Calderdale Wind Farm Ltd is a Saudi-owned and Saudi-backed company. A local multi millionaire land owner will sell them the land if the planning application goes ahead. We can't let that happen.’
Objections from Trish Jaega, 2 Feb 2024
‘I’ve signed up for mail updates on your website because we love the area, especially around Crimsworth Dean. My partner and I are aghast at the idea of the amount of destruction that would be done by installing a massive wind farm there! We live over in Littleborough, but often come over to walk, enjoy the special landscape and do photography there. It’s inspired so many artists, both past and present.’
‘I’m very supportive of renewables, but I also understand the importance of conserving the acidic peat moorlands, which act as both a carbon sink and a special wildlife habitat, as well as helping to prevent flooding in places like Hebden Bridge. The destruction, via building new access routes and erecting the turbines would be awful.’
Letter to Calderdale Council from Alison West, 22 Jan 2024 (reproduced by kind permission of Alison West)
‘I have lived in this area for over 40 years, and have regularly walked in the surrounding hills for all of that time, including ‘off-piste’ walking over moorland such as Walshaw Moor, as the whole of the area of the proposed development is open access land. I feel, like sheep are said to be, ‘hefted’ to this land. I am sure that I am one of many. Walshaw Moor is a beautiful and wild landscape. It should be an AONB. We need to preserve landscapes of this rarity for ourselves and for our descendants. Renewable energy schemes which are for short-term profit which leave a permanent or semi-permanent scar on such precious habitats seem to me to be utterly short-sighted and destructive. I have serious concerns about this particular development on this particular site, and would like to register my strong opposition to it.’ Read more
Objections from Helen B, 19 Jan 2024
‘It seems mad that we want to save the rainforests on the other side of the world yet would allow a Saudi-owned company calling itself "Calderdale Wind Farm Ltd" to build a massive industrial development on our rare peat bog. If the blanket bog were restored, preserved and maintained it would act as a bigger carbon sink per hectare than the Amazonian rain forest, and act as a massive sponge to slow peak flow and help to prevent flooding, and support biodiversity by providing habitats for declining species and ecosystems. As a community we need to stand up and protect the precious assets we have in our midst. We want green energy for our communities in appropriate places not profiteering.’
Objections from Stella King, 1 Jan 2024
I'd like to add the matter of transport and access into the debate. It is hard to see how turbines of this size can be taken up to the moor. Once they leave the A-roads huge transporters would have to negotiate the existing, sometimes single-track, steep and windy, local roads such as the Widdop Road. There is a risk of damage to roads, bridges and buildings on the route from the passage of such heavy traffic, and of substantial disruption to local and regional traffic over an extended period. None of this seems to have been given proper consideration so far.
A number of Public Rights of way, including the Pennine Way, cross the site and are much used. The moor is open access with the Right to Roam . The FAQ on the developer's website concerning walkers' access is, in my opinion, unrealistic and falsely reassuring about the amount and duration of disruption the works would cause.
Objections from Mary L, 30 Dec 2023
‘This landscape has been (and still is) an inspiration for writers, artists, photographers and poets, most notably the Brontes and the former Poet Laureate Ted Hughes. It is visited by tourists from Britain and around the world, and is treasured by local people who enjoy the tranquility and wilderness experience while walking the many footpaths across the moor, including the Pennine Way. This is everyone's back yard. The moors belong to us all. Let us not destroy this most precious asset for the benefit of a private equity company based in Saudi Arabia.’
Objections from S Van Wick, 18 Jan 2024
I am in support of renewable energy but I object strongly to the destruction of vital bio-diverse and sensitive environments which support the ever-shrinking accessible landscapes which for many years have provided a haven for bird life, wildlife, fauna, peat bogs, walkers, visitors , artists, writers and local residents. This area is particularly vulnerable and should by rights be a protected National Park. This proposal will make a lot of money for a few people who have absolutely no interest in a long-term beneficial view of protecting our struggling planet and the people/ animals/ birds/ insects/ plants that live within.’
Objections from Penny Price, 16 Jan 2024
‘We must not allow ourselves to be hoodwinked into accepting this scheme which is about a developer seeing an opportunity to make money. An objective analysis of sites for wind turbines in Yorkshire would not identify Walshaw Moor as a site for wind turbine development. We certainly need to develop renewable energy as a nation but the way we plan this needs to be much better considered, and not down to the whim of a developer and a landowner with a track record of poor management.’
Objections from K Armitage, 9 Jan 2024
‘This is so much more than the loss of a 'nice view or habitat' (although on the habitat argument alone, there are many reasons why this proposal is inappropriate). Indeed, if this development went ahead, would we be able to look ourselves in the mirror and say what right had we to destroy the natural habitat of so much wildlife; what right had we to destroy a significant amount of blanket bog (the tiny UK has 10-15% of the world's blanket bog) which is proven to be effective in carbon capture; what right had we to put the communities of the Calder Valley at risk of major - even catastrophic - flooding; what right had we to destroy one of the last bits of wilderness between two enormous urban conurbations, and remove the benefits of physical and mental health that such an area afforded; what right had we to destroy much of the tourism industry which so many people in the Calder and Worth Valleys relied on; what right had we to do this to a project which only has a 25-30 year life span but would destroy the moors for several generations or more? Of course we are facing a serious, maybe existential, issue with climate change, and I'm sure most of the people opposed to this industrialisation of our moors would agree, but until all the available offshore sites and all the more remote and inaccessible onshore sites have been exploited, places like Walshaw Moor should be an absolute last resort.’
Objections from Jane J, 24 Dec 2023
‘Like many people in Calderdale, I too am a champion of initiatives to reduce carbon emissions but, being familiar with the proposed site on Walshaw Moor, and having investigated the underlying issues, I have reached the conclusion that this development would be an environmental and ecological disaster for Calderdale and presents an existential threat to the countryside and wildlife of the Upper Calder Valley.
It is self evident that the installation and running of the proposed Calderdale Wind Farm would cause widespread and irrevocable ecological damage to the wild moorland habitat and the flora and fauna throughout the Walshaw Moor Estate. As well as being environmentally disastrous, the proposed development is technically illegal as it contravenes Natural England’s SSSI, SAC and SPA regulations on multiple fronts. As well as turning the entire Walshaw Moor Estate into an industrial wasteland, the wind farm would have disastrous knock-on effects on the habitats and ecosystems of nearby land, not just the moorland uplands but the hillside meadows, woodlands and steep river valleys to which the uplands are ecologically linked. Key neighbouring sites include the National Trust estate of Hardcastle Crags and the adjoining valley of Crimsworth Dean, also partly owned by the National Trust, both of which are of national importance for their rich and varied habitats and for their rare flora and fauna. The Walshaw Moor Estate curves round Blake Dean at the head of Hardcastle Crags and encircles Crimsworth Dean on both sides of the Haworth Old Road (the popular Hebden Bridge to Haworth footpath route). If the wind farm goes ahead, these two dales would be hemmed in by turbines at either end, and literally in their shadow along their length.
Make no mistake, this is a massive industrial development. Although described as a 'wind farm', there is nothing remotely agricultural about it. This is a huge power station and the only comparable developments in England are far out at sea.’ Read more
Read more public objection letters on Calderdale Council’s Planning Portal. Search on Walshaw Moor, then look in Documents
Read more public comments on Calderdale Windfarm Action Group on Facebook (independently run)