This video was put together for our recent drop-in session in Cowpe. It covers the history of the Cotton Famine Road, it’s recognition by the BBC during its ground breaking Black History Series, and our current fight to protect it from destruction by Cubico’s wind farm development – Scout Moor 2.

Our team is spending considerable time, effort and our own financial resources to fight Cubico’s aggressive development. Unless stopped, this would add 17 x 180m turbines across Scout Moor and Rooley Moor. Each turbine will be nearly twice the height of the existing ones and taller than the Blackpool Tower.

By every metric the wind farm will be a disaster:

• It will lead to the effective destruction of the Cotton Famine Road, a non-designated heritage asset. It marks the mill workers’ solidarity with the fight against the slave trade during the American Civil War that led to the cotton embargo.
• Our beautiful unique views will be destroyed.
• Around 150,000 cubic meters of peat will be excavated, a supposedly vital resource to fight climate change! Rossendale’s local environmental policy ENV7 states that they will not support turbines on peat over 40cm in depth which most are.
• The peace and amenity will be ruined, impacting walkers and horse-riders. Some horse-riders will be effectively banned as many horses do not like being in the vicinity of large, noisy, rotating turbines which can give rise to disorientating shadow flicker.
• Increased flooding is very likely as an objection by the Local Flood Authority shows. • An experienced noise consultant has explained that some nearby homes will become uninhabitable due to the infrasound emitted by the turbines.
• The National Air Traffic Service have lodged a formal objection because the wind farm will impact radar and will therefore be a threat to safety.
• The area has several endangered species of bird, such as the twite and curlew. They are in such serious danger that they are now considered the most pressing bird conservation priority in the UK. It is well known that curlews and twites rely on moorland habitats for nesting and feeding.

And for what benefit? Cubico are owned by Canadian Pension Funds who will profit handsomely. The proposed Community Benefit Fund will be paid out from government subsidies, i.e. our money!

Our local MPs refuse to back our campaign – shame on them.

There are lots of simple things that you can do to help us but time is running out to submit your objection. Find out more here.

Thank you for anything you can do to support us.