24 Down, 41 To Go - The Fight against the Turbines Goes On
Article on Hebweb - 7 May 2025
Campaigners against the newly rebranded Calderdale Energy Park – previously known as Calderdale Wind Farm – are urging local residents to carry on fighting the huge industrial development proposed for Walshaw Moor. Although the scheme has been scaled back from 65 to 41 turbines in response to strong local opposition, it would still devastate the carbon-rich peat moorland above Hebden Bridge and Haworth, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a thriving breeding ground for endangered curlews, lapwings and golden plovers.
Stop Calderdale Wind Farm, who have spearheaded the campaign against the development from the outset, are urging people to respond to the public consultation which lasts until 10 June. Opponents can email their objections to the developers at info@calderdaleenergypark.co.uk or write to them at FREEPOST CALDERDALE ENERGY PARK.
The developers are holding two PR exhibitions in the area at Hebden Bridge Town Hall on Tuesday 13 May from 1.30 - 7pm and at Oxenhope Community Centre on Saturday 17 May from 12-5pm. Local residents are encouraged to go along to these exhibitions and make their views known.
Wadsworth Parish Council are also carrying out a Wind Farm Survey for local residents which closes soon. Full details of this and the developers’ consultation are on the Stop Calderdale Wind Farm website: www.stopcalderdalewindfarm.co.uk.
As well as being an (SSSI), Walshaw Moor is internationally protected as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Special Protection Area (SPA). A wind farm on this site would cause irrevocable ecological damage to sensitive moorland habitats and wildlife, particularly ground-nesting birds.
Damaging the blanket peat bogs on Walshaw Moor would also greatly increase the risk of flooding in the highly vulnerable Calder Valley and would significantly increase carbon emissions, exacerbating (rather than reducing) climate change.
The landscape of the Upper Calder Valley is some of the most spectacular in the UK comparable with the National Parks. A valued local amenity, it acts as a magnet for walkers and cyclists from far and wide. An intrusive industrial development consisting of 41 turbines 200 metres in height covering 9 square miles is completely inappropriate for this location, especially given its proximity to the National Trust estate of Hardcastle Crags and the beautiful valley of Crimsworth Dean.
Visually the turbines would completely dominate the landscape, not only on Walshaw Moor but throughout the surrounding area, intruding on significant views throughout Calderdale and Bronte Country. This highly insensitive development would ruin some of the most outstanding countryside in Yorkshire, causing irrevocable damage to the natural and cultural heritage of Calderdale and Bronte Country – the landscape that inspired the Brontes and Ted Hughes.
Campaigners against Hebden Bridge wind farm plans urge residents to make their views known
Campaigners against proposals for a huge windfarm on West Yorkshire moorland are urging people to go to consultation sessions held this month and make their objections known.
Last week Calderdale Wind Farm Ltd (CWFL) announced a non-statutory consultation would begin over its proposals to put up dozens of wind turbines placed on Walshaw Moor, above Hebden Bridge. Initial proposals for 65 of the turbines – each of which would be as big as Blackpool Tower – would have seen it become England’s biggest on-shore windfarm, though the company announced downsizing to 41 turbines, if permission is ultimately given.
Campaign group Stop Calderdale Wind Farm, which is co-ordinating opposition, says the fight against the turbines goes on. They claim the scheme risks damaging blanket peat bogs, which help provide protection against flooding and would also “significantly” increase carbon emissions, exacerbating, rather than reducing, climate change. The group says: “Although the scheme has been scaled back from 65 to 41 turbines in response to strong local opposition, it would still devastate the carbon-rich peat moorland above Hebden Bridge and Haworth, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a thriving breeding ground for endangered curlews, lapwings and golden plovers.”
Stop Calderdale Wind Farm are urging people to respond to the public consultation which lasts until June 10. They say opponents can email their objections to the developers at info@calderdaleenergypark.co.uk or write to them at FREEPOST CALDERDALE ENERGY PARK.
The developers are holding two exhibitions in the area at Hebden Bridge Town Hall on Tuesday, May 13, from 1.30pm to 7pm and at Oxenhope Community Centre on Saturday, May 17, from noon to 5pm and the campaigners are encouraging local residents to go along to these exhibitions and make their views known.
Some MPs, including Keighley and Ilkley Conservative Robbie Moore, who is urging Parliamentary colleagues in constituencies which would be affected including those in Calderdale to present a united front against the proposals, are also worried about the scheme.
Wadsworth Parish Council is also carrying out a Wind Farm Survey for local residents which closes soon – and the group says details of this and the developers’ consultation are on the Stop Calderdale Wind Farm website – www.stopcalderdalewindfarm.co.uk.
The group says: “An intrusive industrial development consisting of 41 turbines 200 metres in height covering nine square miles is completely inappropriate for this location, especially given its proximity to the National Trust estate of Hardcastle Crags and the beautiful valley of Crimsworth Dean. “Visually the turbines would completely dominate the landscape. This highly insensitive development would ruin some of the most outstanding countryside in Yorkshire, causing irrevocable damage to the natural and cultural heritage of Calderdale and Bronte Country – the landscape that inspired the Brontes and Ted Hughes,” they claim.
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Plan for England's largest wind farm 'scaled back'
Spencer Stokes
BBC News, Yorkshire, 29 April 2025
Plans for the largest onshore wind farm in England have been scaled back by a developer.
Calderdale Energy Park said it would apply for permission to build 41 turbines instead of the 65 originally planned on land near Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire. A consultation period has now begun and people have been invited to submit their views on the project over the next six weeks. A spokesperson for the company said it had also "removed the solar panel element" from the revised designs.
The company first revealed the plans in 2023. However, environmental campaigners have said the development would disturb peat bogs on Walshaw Moor and release carbon into the atmosphere. Sandra Rout, from campaign group Stop Calderdale Wind Farm, said: "Building wind farms on protected peatland, which is a natural carbon sink, is counterproductive - it will worsen the climate and nature crisis by releasing CO2. "In addition to the turbines, this site would incorporate 22 miles (35 km) of access roads and a substation." She said the group feared the plans would lead to increased risk of flooding at Hebden Bridge and nearby towns. "There are plenty of other suitable sites for wind farms, as identified in a report by the RSPB," she said. "We are calling for government-led action to plan where this technology goes."
The application to build the wind farm will be decided by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband MP, after the site was designated a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). It means that although Calderdale Council can be consulted, councillors will not have the final say on whether the project proceeds.
Campaign Leaflet
Walkers’ Survey
Local walkers who appreciate the landscape and wildlife of Calderdale and Brontë Country have resoundingly rejected the proposed Wind Farm on Walshaw Moor above Hebden Bridge. In a Walkers’ Survey carried out during May and June 2024, 92% of respondents said they objected to the development, citing the industrialisation of the unspoilt rural landscape (93%) and the destruction of birds, wildlife and moorland habitats (84%) as their primary concerns.
The survey, which was circulated at the Public Forum about the Wind Farm held at the Birchcliffe Centre in Hebden Bridge on 15 May 2024 and also promoted online via www.stopcalderdalewindfarm.co.uk, asked people about their current walking habits and preferences, and canvased their views on whether the Wind Farm would have a deterrent effect. 63% of the respondents were Hebden Bridge residents and 25% were from elsewhere in Calderdale, with 11% from further afield in Yorkshire, Lancashire or Greater Manchester. Many were very keen walkers: 48% went walking in the area on a daily basis, with an additional 43% going out walking in Calderdale or Brontë Country at least once a week.
The National Trust estate of Hardcastle Crags and the adjoining Walshaw Moor Estate (site of the proposed Wind Farm) were the two most popular destinations for local walkers. 96% of respondents had visited Hardcastle Crags and 88% had been walking on Walshaw Moor within the last 12 months. Crimsworth Dean, which lies just below the Walshaw Moor Estate, was another popular destination, along with Widdop Moor and Widdop Reservoir, both recently visited by 78% of the walkers in the survey. Several other iconic hilltop locations in Calderdale and Bronte Country looking directly onto the proposed turbine site on Walshaw Moor were also firm favourites with walkers, notably Top Withens, Heptonstall and Stoodley Pike.
The Pennine Way, which runs right through the centre of Walshaw Dean to Top Withens, was singled out as one of the most popular local footpaths, with 91% of walkers having used it over the last year. The extensive network of trails running through and around Hardcastle Crags also scored highly at 90%, as did the footpaths through Crimsworth Dean, including the perennially popular Hebden Bridge to Haworth Walk which crosses the Walshaw Moor Estate. Topping the popularity stakes at 95% was the Calderdale Way, a well-established long-distance footpath which loops round the Calderdale Valley and has many views towards Walshaw Moor along its 50-mile length.
98% of respondents cited hilltop vistas as the most distinctive feature of Calderdale’s countryside, along with its striking landscape (96%). Also highly valued by 95% of local walkers were the moorland birds and wildlife, the peace and tranquillity of the countryside and sense of wildness on the moors. The intrusive impact of large numbers of very tall wind turbines up to 200 metres in height on the landscape were identified as key concerns by 77% of respondents. Respondents indicated that, as well as put off from walking across Walshaw Moor itself, they would also be deterred from visiting the area by turbines sited above or near Hardcastle Crags and Crimsworth Dean (81%) or Top Withens, Haworth and Brontë Country (78%).
The survey clearly demonstrates that local walkers believe that the proposed Calderdale Wind Farm would have an extremely negative impact on Calderdale’s greatest natural assets: its landscape, countryside and wildlife. As well as deterring walkers from the local community who treasure this resource, the construction of the wind farm would have a significant deterrent effect on visitors from further afield currently attracted to this area specifically because of its unique landscape and wildlife.
Recent Press Coverage
Yorkshire Post - 1 July 2024
Recent Event
Calderdale Wind Farm - A Hostile Act?
Public Forum to explore the Environmental and Cultural Impact of De-Wilding Walshaw Moor
Birchcliffe Centre, Hebden Bridge, Wednesday 15 May
The Pennine Heritage Trust in partnership with Hebden Bridge Literary and Scientific Society and Stop Calderdale Wind Farm hosted a Public Forum to raise awareness about the environmental and cultural issues of the proposed Wind Farm on Walshaw Moor. Four speakers shared their knowledge and insights into the potential consequences of this massive industrial development on the countryside, wildlife, communities and literary heritage of the Calder Valley. Topics included the impact of the Wind Farm on protected moorland habitats and wildlife, the rich bird life of Walshaw Moor, damage to peat and carbon footprint of the construction project and the poetic legacy of Ted Hughes. Following the presentations, the audience were invited to contribute to a discussion.
Speakers included:
Horatio Clare - Nature and Travel Writer and Broadcaster
Walshaw Moor: ‘A little bit of miraculous old Britain’
Carl Lawrence - Professor Emeritus (University of Leeds - Engineering)
Wind Farms on Peat - The Green Debate
Dr Steve Ely - Poet and Director of the Ted Hughes Network (University of Huddersfield)
Ted Hughes and Walshaw Moor: ‘A stage for the performance of heaven’
Nina Smith - Local walker and environmental campaigner, committee member of Hebden Bridge Literary and Scientific Society
The Endangered Birds and Habitats of Walshaw Moor
www.pennineheritage.org.uk www.hblitandsci.org.uk www.stopcalderdalewindfarm.co.uk
Thanks to everyone who attended and participated in the Public Forum. The event attracted over 250 people and was a great success.
Click here for a summary of the Public Forum
Click here for Carl Lawrence’s presentation: Wind Farms on Peat - The Green Debate - NEWLY REVISED
Click here for slides of The Endangered Birds and Habitats of Walshaw Moor SSSI
Click here for Steve Ely’s presentation: Ted Hughes and Walshaw Moor
The Forum was highlighted in advance on BBC Look North, ITV’s Calendar News and Radio Leeds, along with information about the Stop Calderdale Wind Farm campaign.
Recent Media Coverage
Hebweb - 24 May 2024
BBC Look North - 14 May 2024
Hebden Bridge Times - May 2024
Halifax Courier - 29 May 2024
Our Campaign
Stop Calderdale Wind Farm Leaflet
Please circulate this leaflet as widely as possible by email, whatsapp and social media. Pass it on to your family, friends, neighbours and colleagues. Print it out and display it in your window or distribute it in your area. Many local people are still completely unaware of the wind farm or don’t understand its implications, so it’s vital to spread the word.
Calderdale Wind Farm is a Hostile Act against the countryside, wildlife and people of the Calder Valley and Brontë Country.
Support from Ted Hughes Estate
‘Wadsworth Moor’ by Ted Hughes from Remains of Elmet, 1979. Published in support of Stop Calderdale Wind Farm
All poems from Collected Poems by Ted Hughes are copyright (c) the Estate of Ted Hughes. Reprinted here by permission of the Ted Hughes Estate and Faber and Faber Ltd. All rights reserved.
Support from Flaight Hill Group
In 1994 the Flaight Hill Opposition Group successfully defeated a proposal for a large 44 turbine wind farm on the moor above Pecket Well near Hebden Bridge in Calderdale. The site, which extended from Cock Hill above Oxenhope to High Brown Knoll and Limers Gate, directly overlooked Crimsworth Dean and was very close to the boundary of the Walshaw Moor Estate, where the proposed Calderdale Wind Farm would be built.
When Stop Calderdale Wind Farm held its first public meeting at Wadsworth Community Centre on 6 December 2023, several members of the Flaight Hill Opposition Group came forward and offered to help. We have been working closely with them ever since and are extremely grateful for their support and their vital input into our campaign.
Halifax Courier - 4 March 2024
Hebweb - 3 March 2024
Hebden Bridge Times - 14 March 2024
Times Literary Supplement - 16 February 2024
An open letter from over 350 writers, artists and environmentalists opposing the development of the proposed Calderdale Wind Farm on the Walshaw Moor Estate because of the environmental and cultural damage it would inflict on the landscape and wildlife of the Upper Calder Valley and Brontë Country, and its disastrous impact on the internationally-renowned literary heritage of the Brontë sisters, Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath. Read letter and list of signatories.
The Guardian - 8 January 2024
‘What do Saudi developers know of Heathcliff?’ Brontë country up in arms over windfarm plan
by Helen Pidd, Northern Editor of The Guardian.
Recent Events
Public Meeting at Wadsworth Community Centre - 6 December 2023
130 people packed into Wadsworth Community Centre in Old Town near Hebden Bridge for the inaugural Stop Calderdale Wind Farm Public Meeting. Presentations were given on different aspects of the development highlighting its damaging impact on the environment. The public were then given the opportunity to air their views. There was unanimous support for the campaign. Read report on Hebweb.
Questioning Arcadia: Beyond the Idealised Landscape - January 2024
An exhibition at Wainsgate Chapel, Old Town, Hebden Bridge by postgraduate architecture students from the University of Sheffield. The exhibition highlighted the environmental impact of the wind farm on Walshaw Moor and its knock-on effects on the Calder Valley, particularly in relation to flooding. Exploring issues such as capitalist exploitation and green colonialism, it proposed the alternative concept of Ourcadia: upland management for the benefit of the environment and the community.
