View source for Scout Moor Wind Farm

{{Short description|Renewable energy facility in England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox power station
| name = Scout Moor Wind Farm
| name_official = 
| image = Aerial View of Scout Moor Wind Farm.jpg
| image_caption = An aerial view of Scout Moor Wind Farm
| image_alt = 
| coordinates = {{coord|53|39|34|N|2|15|7|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| country = England, United Kingdom
| location = Scout Moor, [[Hail Storm Hill]], and Knowle Moor, [[North West England]]
| status = O
| construction_began = January 2007
| commissioned = 25 September 2008
| decommissioned = 
| cost = £50&nbsp;million
| owner = [[Munich Re]][https://web.archive.org/web/20150924153910/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-299684183.html]
| operator = 
| ps_units_operational = 26
| ps_units_manu_model = [[Nordex]]: Nordex N80 2.5&nbsp;MW
| wind_hub_height = {{convert|60|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| wind_rotor_diameter = {{convert|80|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| wind_rated_speed = 
| wind_farm_type = 
| ps_site_elevation = {{convert|1552|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
| wind_site_usage = 
| ps_site_area = {{convert|1347|acre|ha|0|abbr=on}}
| ps_electrical_capacity = 65 [[Megawatt|MW]]
| ps_electrical_cap_fac = 29%
| ps_annual_generation = 165.6 [[GWh]]
| website = {{URL|scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk}}
{{URL|scoutmoor2.co.uk}}
| extra = 
}}
'''Scout Moor Wind Farm''' is the second largest onshore [[wind farm]] in England. The wind farm, which was built for [[Peel Group|Peel Wind Power Ltd]], produces electricity from 26&nbsp;[[Nordex]] N80 [[wind turbine]]s. It has a total [[nameplate capacity]] of 65&nbsp;[[Watt#Megawatt|MW]] of electricity, providing 154,000&nbsp;[[Megawatt hour|MW·h]] per year;<ref>average output 17.6 [[MWe]], a capacity factor of 27%</ref> enough to serve the average needs of 40,000&nbsp;homes. The site occupies {{convert|1347|acre|ha}} of open [[moorland]] between [[Edenfield]], [[Rawtenstall]] and [[Rochdale]],<ref name="LCC">{{cite web |date=6 January 2005 |title=Lancashire County Council External Overview and Scrutiny Committee Minutes (Word Document) |url=http://www3.lancashire.gov.uk/council/meetings/displayFile.asp?FTYPE=M&FILEID=8454 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402174200/http://www3.lancashire.gov.uk/council/meetings/displayFile.asp?FTYPE=M&FILEID=8454 |archive-date=2012-04-02 |access-date=10 December 2008}}</ref> and is split between the [[Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale]] in northern [[Greater Manchester]] and the [[Borough of Rossendale]] in south-eastern [[Lancashire]]. The turbines are visible from as far away as south [[Manchester]], {{convert|15|-|20|mi}} away.<ref name="Work Begins">{{cite news |last=McMullan |first=Dan |date=1 February 2007 |title=Work begins on £50million windfarm |url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/234914_work_begins_on_50million_windfarm.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221225748/http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/work-begins-on-50million-windfarm-981460 |archive-date=2015-02-21 |access-date=1 November 2008 |work=[[Manchester Evening News]] |publisher=M.E.N. Media}}</ref>

A protest group was formed to resist the proposed construction, and attracted support from the botanist and environmental campaigner [[David Bellamy]]. Despite the opposition, [[planning permission]] was granted in 2005 and construction began in 2007. Although work on the project was hampered by harsh weather, difficult terrain, and previous mining activity, the wind farm was officially opened on 25 September 2008 after "years of controversy",<ref name="Bolton09"/> at a cost of £50&nbsp;million.

In 2012 Peel Energy sold its 50% share in the facility to [[Munich Re]]'s asset management division MEAG. The other 50% holding was also purchased by MEAG from [[HgCapital]] Renewable Power Partners.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-299684183.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924153910/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-299684183.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 September 2015|title=United Kingdom : HgCAPITAL Sells Its Operating 102MW UK Wind Portfolio to MUNICH RE|last=Anon|date=14 August 2012|work=Mena Report|publisher=Al Bawaba (Middle East) Ltd|access-date=2 January 2015}}</ref>

In November 2024, [https://www.cubicoinvest.com/ Cubico Sustainable Investments] unveiled plans to expand Scout Moor Wind Farm with 21 new turbines, aiming to generate over 100 MW of electricity. This expansion would make Scout Moor the largest onshore wind farm in England. The project would power 100,000 homes and contribute over 10% of Greater Manchester's domestic energy needs, marking a key step toward the UK's goal of doubling onshore wind capacity by 2030.<ref>[http://www.scoutmoor2.co.uk Scout Moor 2 Website]</ref>

== Geography ==
Scout Moor is an upland moor of [[peat bog]] and [[Calluna|heather]] in the [[South Pennines]],<ref name="Work Begins"/> reaching a maximum elevation of {{convert|1552|ft|sigfig=3}} at its peak, Top of Leach.<ref name="Map">{{gbmapping|cap=1|SD8335218161}}</ref><ref name="SouthPennines"/> The underlying geology&nbsp;– a mixture of hard rock and soft shales&nbsp;– broadly belongs to the [[Coal Measure|Lower Coal Measures]]. The rock and shales weather at different rates, giving the area a landscape of "steep escarpments separated by sloping shelves", although the main dome of the moor is flat and rounded.<ref name="SouthPennines">Sellers (1991) p.&nbsp;12.</ref> The moorland covers an area of about {{convert|1347|acre}},<ref>{{cite web |title=Report to the Cabinet Member for Urban and Rural Regeneration |url=http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/council/meetings/displayFile.asp?FTYPE=D&FILEID=4689 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912092329/http://www3.lancashire.gov.uk/council/meetings/displayfile.asp?fileid=4689&ftype=d |archive-date=2016-09-12 |access-date=3 December 2008 |publisher=Lancashire County Council |format=DOC}}</ref> of which less than {{convert|21|acre}}, about 2%, is occupied by the wind farm.<ref>{{cite web |title=Introduction |url=http://westcoastenergy.co.uk/files/Projects/Scout%20Moor%20NTS.doc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225131749/http://westcoastenergy.co.uk/files/Projects/Scout%20Moor%20NTS.doc |archive-date=2009-02-25 |access-date=3 December 2008 |work=Environmental Statement |publisher=West Coast Energy |format=DOC}}</ref>

[[File:Scout Moor Wind Farm panorama from Peel Monument.jpg|600px|left|thumb|Scout Moor Wind Farm from the [[Peel Monument]] in [[Ramsbottom]]]]

Scout Moor Quarry, a {{convert|250|acre|adj=on}} open-pit mine in [[Edenfield]], is used for the extraction of [[gritstone]] and [[sandstone]], and formerly had its own railway line.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/lmwlp/pdf/consultation/CSD043.pdf|title=Joint Lancashire Minerals and Waste Development Framework; Strategic Minerals Issues|publisher=Joint Advisory Committee for Strategic Planning|date=November 2007|access-date=2 November 2008|pages=60|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205112023/http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/lmwlp/pdf/consultation/CSD043.pdf|archive-date=5 February 2009}}</ref> The eastern fringe of Scout Moor Wind Farm extends to [[Hail Storm Hill]] (also known as Cowpe Moss), one of the [[List of Marilyns in England|180 Marilyns of England]].<ref name="Map"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bubl.ac.uk/org/tacit/tables/england/marreg36.htm|title=Region 36 Lancashire, Cheshire and Southern Pennines|last=Hewitt|first=Dave|publisher=bubl.ac.uk|year=1997|access-date=3 November 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203115408/http://bubl.ac.uk/org/tacit/tables/england/marreg36.htm|archive-date=3 February 2009}}</ref> The presence of coal under Scout Moor led to extensive and unrecorded shallow coal mining in the area during the 18th and 19th centuries. [[Adit]]s, shafts and coal seams from that period mark the landscape.<ref name="Workbegins"/><ref>{{cite web |author=Scott Wilson Group |author-link=Scott Wilson Group |title=Scout Moor Windfarm&nbsp;— Geotechnical Services |url=http://www.scottwilson.com/projects/natural_resources/energy__power/scout_moor_windfarm_-_geotech.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201200846/http://www.scottwilson.com/projects/natural_resources/energy__power/scout_moor_windfarm_-_geotech.aspx |archive-date=2009-02-01 |access-date=3 November 2008 |publisher=scottwilson.com}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Top of scotland lane bury.jpg|thumb|A view towards Scout Moor, close to the [[Cheesden Valley]], before the construction of the wind farm]]
One meaning of ''scout'' is a long ridge of rock, appearing to "shoot out" horizontally. The word is thought to be a corruption of the [[Old English]] ''sceot'', meaning "shot" or "to shoot", suggesting [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] settlement in the locality at a very ancient time.<ref name="Chet">Chetham Society (1856) [https://archive.org/stream/remainshistorica41chetuoft#page/260/mode/2up/search/scout p.&nbsp;260].</ref>

Although the UK Government has set a target of 10% for the proportion of the UK's electricity produced by [[renewable energy]] by 2010,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/energy/sources/renewables/index.html|title=Renewable Energy|publisher=Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform|access-date=18 December 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218135839/http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/energy/sources/renewables/index.html|archive-date=18 December 2008}}</ref> [[wind power in the United Kingdom|wind power in the UK]] has a long history of controversy, with an average approval rate for planning permission of only 28% for onshore wind farms.<ref>{{cite web |last=Anon |date=2 March 2007 |title=Poor performance leaves Government renewable energy target in limbo |url=http://www.bwea.com/media/news/070302.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715062205/http://www.bwea.com/media/news/070302.html |archive-date=2007-07-15 |access-date=12 December 2008 |work=BWEA News |publisher=BWEA}}</ref> Scout Moor was first identified as an excellent site for a wind farm in 2001.<ref name="Peel Launch">{{cite web |url=http://www.peelenergy.co.uk/news-archive-2008/scout-moor-wind-farm-official-launch- |publisher=Peel Energy |access-date=1 November 2008 |date=19 September 2008 |title=Scout Moor Wind Farm Official Launch |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112145838/http://www.peelenergy.co.uk/news-archive-2008/scout-moor-wind-farm-official-launch- |archive-date=12 January 2014 }}</ref> Peel Holdings commissioned market research consultants [[MORI]] to undertake a telephone poll over seventeen days in 2002, soliciting the opinions of residents in Bury, Rossendale and Rochdale about wind farms in general and Scout Moor in particular. The results showed that 88% of respondents thought wind farms were a very or fairly good idea, 72% thought the Scout Moor project was a very or fairly good idea, and 63% stated wind power as the preferred energy source.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/mori.html|title=7 out of 10 say YES to Scout Moor Windfarm |last=Anon|work=Scout Moor Wind Farm web site|publisher=Peel Wind Power Ltd|access-date=14 December 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080517004355/http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/mori.html |archive-date = 17 May 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The proposal to build a wind farm, in a joint venture between [[United Utilities]] and Peel Holdings, was announced in 2003. Shortly afterwards a [[pressure group]], The Friends of Scout and Knowle Moor, was formed, and on 9 September 2003 representatives of the group attended a meeting of the [[Metropolitan Borough of Bury]]'s, [[Ramsbottom]] and [[Tottington, Greater Manchester|Tottington]] Area Board to oppose the plans. At the meeting, the spokesperson for the group said that, although they supported the use of alternative energy, they felt that this was the wrong area. Among the objections were that the scheme was contrary to the [[Unitary Development Plan]] and the [[Green belt (UK)|Green Belt]], and would adversely affect [[common land]], open countryside and areas of ecological importance and special landscape value. The group also considered that the proposed development would be out of scale with the landscape, adversely affecting peat, water courses and wildlife, and would have a seriously detrimental visual impact, as well as causing a noise nuisance.<ref name="Minutes">{{cite web|title=Metropolitan Borough of Bury: Ramsbottom and Tottington Area Board minutes, Tuesday 9th September 2003|url=http://burydem.bury.gov.uk/aksbury/users/public/admin/kab12.pl?cmte=RTA&meet=5&arc=71|access-date=1 November 2008|publisher=Bury Metropolitan Borough Council|date=9 September 2003|work=Bury Metropolitan Borough Council website|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205125931/http://burydem.bury.gov.uk/aksbury/users/public/admin/kab12.pl?cmte=RTA&meet=5&arc=71|archive-date=5 February 2009}}</ref>

The second presentation was given by a representative of Scout Moor Wind Farm, who argued the need for Britain to produce clean green power without harmful emissions, to counter the increasing dangers of global warming. He went on to say that the UK has fewer wind farms than other major industrial countries in Europe, even though it is a windier country, and that [[North West England]] has a particularly poor record, with only 1.3% of electricity generated from renewable energy.<ref name="Minutes" /> Following this meeting the campaign to oppose the proposal gathered momentum, and in November 2003 a protest was held on the moor, led by environmental campaigner Professor [[David Bellamy]].<ref name="Bellamy">{{cite news|title=Bellamy joins moor wind farm protest|url=http://menmedia.co.uk/heywoodadvertiser/news/s/388283_bellamy_joins_moor_wind_farm_protest |access-date=1 November 2008 |publisher=M.E.N. Media|date=29 October 2003 |work=Heywood Advertiser|last=Wood|first=Frank}}</ref>
[[File:Rochdale Road Edenfield.jpg|thumb|A {{convert|40|m|ft|0|adj=on}} blade passing through [[Edenfield]]]]

Although Bury Metropolitan Borough Council supported the proposal, objections were raised by [[Lancashire County Council]], Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council and [[Rossendale Borough Council]], and a public enquiry was held in November and December 2004. The [[Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform|Secretary of State for Trade and Industry]] gave formal consent to the application for the development of the wind farm in May 2005, by which time United Utilities had sold their share in the project and ended their involvement.<ref>{{cite news|title=Power giants pull out of windfarm bid|author=Anon|date=25 April 2005|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/power-giants-pull-out-of-windfarm-1062830|work=Manchester Evening News|publisher=M.E.N. Media|access-date=21 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/4575341.stm|title=Moors' windfarm gets green light |date=25 May 2005|work=BBC News|access-date=13 December 2008}}</ref> A number of conditions were imposed:

{{Blockquote|
Under section 106 of the [[Town and Country Planning Act 1990|Town and Country Planning Act (1990)]] the applicant will be required to establish a habitat management plan. Other conditions have been placed on the development including that:

* Access tracks to all areas to and around the turbine bases shall remain unfenced. Access will be allowed on the site for the whole of the life of the development for members of the public and grazing stock.
* Construction will take place outside the bird nesting season.
* A survey will take place to establish the presence of badgers in the area before development takes place.
* No development shall take place until there is a full archaeological investigation.

More conditions have been attached to the consent and various surveys and assessments must be carried out by the applicant before development can commence.<ref name="LancsGov">{{cite web|title=Large Scale Renewable Energy&nbsp;– Update|url=http://www3.lancashire.gov.uk/council/meetings/displayFile.asp?FTYPE=A&FILEID=10121 |access-date=1 November 2008 |publisher=Lancashire County Council|date=21 July 2005 |work=Lancashire County Council External Overview & Scrutiny Committee minutes}}</ref>}}

On 20 April 2006, [[Janet Anderson]] ([[Member of Parliament]] for [[Rossendale and Darwen (UK Parliamentary constituency)|Rossendale and Darwen]]) asked [[Margaret Beckett]], then [[Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]], whether the development would meet the provisions of the Commons Bill regarding the protection of and public access to [[common land]]. The reply from [[Jim Knight]], (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity) was that;

{{quote|"[t]hese applications are made under section 147 of the [[Inclosure Act 1845]]. Consideration is given under these provision to the effect of the exchange on the general public's legal right of access over the land. The future provisions in the Commons Bill are not relevant."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/vo060420/text/60420w02.htm#60420w02.html_wqn1 |publisher=House of Commons |title= Hansard 20 Apr 2006 : Column 751W—continued: Scout Moor Windfarm |date=20 April 2006 |access-date=2 December 2008}}</ref>}}

=== Construction ===
[[File:Scout moor gearbox, rotor shaft and brake assembly.jpg|thumb| [[Gearbox]], [[Turbine|rotor]] shaft and brake assembly being lifted into position]]
The detailed design for the project was completed during summer 2006 and construction began in January 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/news.html|publisher=scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk|author=Peel Group|author-link=Peel Group|access-date=3 November 2008 |title=Project update: May 2005&nbsp;– September 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080610101750/http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/news.html |archive-date = 10 June 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> The first task was to build a stable access road, but the moor was covered in a layer of peat with a low load-bearing capacity. The whole area had also been subjected to extensive coal mining during the 19th and early 20th centuries, so there was a potential for [[subsidence]]. To address these problems, the mining voids were [[grout]]ed and a floating road was constructed, using a complex system of [[geotextiles]] and [[geogrids]] to prevent the road from sinking.<ref name="Workbegins">{{cite web|url=http://www.mcnicholas.co.uk/index.php?q=work-begins-on-wind-farm|publisher=McNicholas Construction (Holdings) Ltd|access-date=3 November 2008|title=News: Work begins on £10.5 million contract at Scout Moor wind farm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201204314/http://www.mcnicholas.co.uk/index.php?q=work-begins-on-wind-farm|archive-date=1 December 2007}}</ref> This was achieved by laying a crushed-gravel base, reinforced with polyester and polypropylene grids, to bridge any potential mine voids and ensure that the weak shear strength of the subsoil was exceeded by the base course material.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 2007 |title=NUAE Geosynthetics Ltd. News: Project Scout Moor Wind farm |url=http://www.naue.com/content-global/news/pdfdata/naue_news_30_EN.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511224614/http://www.naue.com/content-global/news/pdfdata/naue_news_30_EN.pdf |archive-date=2008-05-11 |access-date=2 November 2008 |publisher=NUAE}}</ref>
The wind turbines arrived at Scout Moor in parts, transported by [[large goods vehicle]]s along the [[M66 motorway]] to [[Edenfield]] as part of a 76-day-long convoy of delivery.<ref>{{cite news |date=23 November 2007 |title=Scout Moor turbine arrives |url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1025653_scout_moor_turbine_arrives |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113105025/http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1025653_scout_moor_turbine_arrives |archive-date=2012-11-13 |access-date=1 November 2008 |work=Manchester Evening News |publisher=M.E.N. Media}}</ref>

The weather constrained the wind farm's construction for the teams from contractor McNicholas and German turbine supplier Nordex. During the final stages, the project manager for McNicholas was quoted as saying:
{{blockquote|The weather has undoubtedly been the single biggest challenge we have faced up here. We have worked with wind speeds well in excess of 120mph and temperatures as low as minus 12 degrees Celsius, which is more like minus 25 with the wind-chill factor. I've worked on a lot of wind farm construction projects but the adverse conditions have made this one of the most difficult&nbsp;... We have spent £30,000 on personal protective equipment for the workers. Keeping them warm, fed and moving in these conditions is a massive man management project, but we did it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestringer.co.uk/CV/profile.html |publisher=Seb Kennedy |access-date=7 November 2008 |title=Machines on the hill carry winds of change |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013050724/http://www.thestringer.co.uk/CV/profile.html |archive-date=13 October 2008 }}</ref>}}
The wind farm, which stretches across nearly {{convert|2|mi|km}} of open [[moorland]] between Edenfield, Rawtenstall and Rochdale,<ref name="Work Begins"/> was officially opened on 25 September 2008.<ref name="SwitchOn">{{cite web|title=Scout Moor Wind Farm gets official switch on|url=http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/community/14514/scout-moor-wind-farm-gets-official-switch-on |access-date=11 January 2008 |publisher=Rochdale Online|date=25 September 2008 |work=Rochdale Online website|last=Harwood|first=Jan}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/rossendale/3695780.Scout_Moor_Wind_Farm_ready_for_official_switch_on/ |title=Scout Moor Wind Farm ready for official switch on |last=Korn |first=Helen |date=23 September 2008 |work=Lancashire Telegraph |publisher=Newsquest Media Group |access-date=21 September 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201195029/http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/rossendale/3695780.Scout_Moor_Wind_Farm_ready_for_official_switch_on/ |archive-date=1 February 2009 }}</ref> and was at that time the largest onshore wind farm in England.<ref name="Largest1">{{cite web |last=Taylor |first=Paul J |title=BBC Manchester&nbsp;–Manchester Places&nbsp;–Scout Moor Wind Farm |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/image_galleries/250908_scoutmoor_windfarm_gallery.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202191448/https://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/image_galleries/250908_scoutmoor_windfarm_gallery.shtml |archive-date=2009-02-02 |access-date=1 November 2008 |publisher=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Harvest time at the wind farm|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/harvest-time-at-the-wind-farm-950756 |access-date=21 February 2015 |publisher=M.E.N. Media|date=19 April 2010 |work=Manchester Evening News}}</ref> As of 26 August 2008, 21 of 26&nbsp;turbines had been commissioned and 4,000&nbsp;[[Kilowatt hour#Multiples|MW·h]] of electricity had been exported to the [[National Grid (UK)|National Grid]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/news.html|title=Project update|last=Anon|publisher=Peel Wind Power Ltd|access-date=6 December 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080610101750/http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/news.html |archive-date = 10 June 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> The turbines are visible from south Manchester, {{nowrap|{{convert|15|-|20|mi}}}} away, and are expected to produce enough electricity to meet the needs of 40,000&nbsp;average homes.<ref name="Bolton09">{{cite web|url=http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/3705100.Wind_farm_opens_on_Scout_Moor/|publisher=theboltonnews.co.uk|title=Wind farm opens on Scout Moor|date=25 September 2008 |access-date=1 November 2008}}</ref> Scout Moor has the capacity to produce a total of 65&nbsp;MW,<ref name="keyfacts">{{cite web|url=http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/keyfacts.html|title=Scout Moor Wind Farm Key Facts |publisher=scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk|author=Peel Group|author-link=Peel Group|access-date=3 November 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080610151634/http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/keyfacts.html |archive-date = 10 June 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> compared with the 90&nbsp;MW capacity of [[Kentish Flats Offshore Wind Farm|Kentish Flats]], the United Kingdom's largest offshore wind farm.<ref>{{cite web |title=BWEA Briefing Sheet: Offshore Wind |url=http://www.bwea.com/pdf/briefings/offshore05_small.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060312235118/http://www.bwea.com/pdf/briefings/offshore05_small.pdf |archive-date=2006-03-12 |access-date=2 December 2008 |publisher=British Wind Energy Association}}</ref> The total cost of the Scout Moor project was £50&nbsp;million,<ref name="BBC video">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/7635159.stm |title=Giant wind farm officially opens |date=25 September 2008 |access-date=2 November 2008|work=BBC News}}</ref> but Peel Holdings expect the turbines to be in operation for at least 25 years.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1079118_wind_farm_suffers_blow|title=Wind farm suffers blow|date=12 November 2008|work=Manchester Evening News|publisher=M.E.N. Media|access-date=13 December 2008|last=Taylor|first=Paul R|archive-date=13 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113105222/http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1079118_wind_farm_suffers_blow|url-status=dead}}</ref> Since its opening, the wind farm "has become a real tourist attraction";<ref name="scout_moor">{{cite web|url=http://www.burytimes.co.uk/archive/2008/11/28/News+from+Ramsbottom%2C+Tottington+and+District+%28NewsR%26T%29/3926711.Wind_farm_is_in_the_frame/|title=Wind farm is in the frame|work=Bury Times|access-date=25 April 2012|date=28 November 2008}}</ref> a calendar showing photographs of the wind farm's construction has been featured in local news stories.<ref name="telegraph_calendar">{{cite web|url=http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/rossendale/3834525.Ramsbottom_man_produces_Scout_Moor_wind_farm_calendar/|title=Ramsbottom man produces Scout Moor wind farm calendar|date=10 November 2008|access-date=12 December 2008|first=Alex|last=Willmott |work=[[Lancashire Telegraph]]}}</ref>

== Future plans ==
Over the lifetime of the wind farm, Peel Holdings' energy [[subsidiary]], Peel Wind Power Ltd, will provide up to £500,000 to help landowners create [[biodiversity|biodiverse]] areas on the land surrounding the moor.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.burytimes.co.uk/news/3721217.Moor_the_merrier/£500,000|title=Moor the merrier|last=Poole|first=Sarah|date=2 October 2008|work=Bury Times|publisher=Newsquest Media Group|access-date=13 December 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406092844/http://www.burytimes.co.uk/news/3721217.moor_the_merrier/%C2%A3500%2C000/|archive-date=6 April 2016}}</ref> A prime target habitat envisaged to be enhanced and re-created under the Habitat Enhancement Plan is upland [[blanket bog]] and important habitats for [[skylark]]s and [[wading birds]] on the moorland fringe. To receive funding, landowners within an identified area will need to apply to a panel made up of representatives from Peel, the local authorities and independent ecological experts. This panel will meet regularly throughout the year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/ecological.html|title=Ecological and Habitat Improvement Work|last=Anon|work=Scout moor Wind Farm official web site|publisher=Peel Wind Power Ltd|access-date=13 December 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080610151627/http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/ecological.html |archive-date = 10 June 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Peel Wind Power are members of [[RenewableUK]] and state in their member's profile that they are actively seeking new opportunities in the renewable energy sector.<ref>{{cite web |title=Company Directory; Peel Wind Power Ltd |url=http://www.bwea.com/members/memberinfo.asp?ID=4977&Cat= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090120041822/https://bwea.com/members/memberinfo.asp?ID=4977&Cat= |archive-date=2009-01-20 |access-date=2 August 2010 |publisher=RenewableUK}}</ref> In November 2008, the company announced a two-year agreement to look at developing wind farms on land owned by [[UK Coal]]. If the 14&nbsp;sites encompassed by the agreement were successfully developed, they would have the potential for 54&nbsp;wind turbines generating up to 133&nbsp;megawatts of power. Peel Energy director Steven Underwood said: "This agreement is an important step for Peel Energy, significantly expanding its onshore pipeline and gaining access to some of the UK's best potential wind farm locations." The Peel group holds a 28% stake in UK Coal.<ref>{{cite news |last=Feddy |first=Kevin |date=13 November 2008 |title=Peel in wind farm deal with UK Coal |url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1079544_peel_in_wind_farm_deal_with_uk_coal_ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222030203/http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/peel-in-wind-farm-deal-with-uk-973147 |archive-date=2015-02-22 |access-date=13 December 2008 |work=Manchester Evening News |publisher=M.E.N. Media}}</ref>

At a private meeting held in May 2007 between developers, EnergieKontor UK, and invited local councillors, plans were put forward for another large wind farm consisting of 24&nbsp;turbines on the moors above nearby Haslingden, spanning Thirteen Stone Hill and [[Oswaldtwistle]] Moor. Following the meeting Catherine Pilling, a Rossendale [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] councillor, expressed her view that the natural beauty of the [[Rossendale Valley]] was under threat as it was increasingly being targeted by wind farm developers.<ref name="RFP"/> "Our party is very much in favour of renewable energy," she said, "but Rossendale is an area of outstanding beauty, and you have to ask: Would they be building a similar thing in the [[Lake District]]?"<ref name="RFP"/> Rossendale Borough Council leader Duncan Ruddick representing the [[Wards of the United Kingdom|electoral ward]] of Worsley in Rossendale, the proposed site of the new wind farm, said he was against wind farms and would be campaigning against it and speaking at the Development Control committee when it came.<ref name="RFP"/> The leader of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] local councillors was also opposed to the plan, saying that he was concerned about the size of the turbines and that the visual impact on the "beautiful [[West Pennine Moors]]" would be devastating.<ref name="RFP">{{cite news|title=Valley to become windfarm alley?|url=http://menmedia.co.uk/rossendalefreepress/news/s/528265_valley_to_become_windfarm_alley |access-date=11 January 2008 |publisher=M.E.N. Media|date=25 May 2007|work=Rossendale Free Press}}</ref> Planning permission for the development was granted by [[Hyndburn]] Council in March 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.blackburncitizen.co.uk/news/5038328.Oswaldtwistle_Moor_wind_farm_approved_by_councillors/|title=Oswaldtwistle Moor wind farm approved by councillors|last=Cruces|first=Emma|date=3 March 2010|work=The Citizen|publisher=Newsquest Media Group|access-date=16 December 2010}}</ref>

In August 2015 planning permission was granted by Rossendale Borough Council's development control committee to add a further 14 turbines at Scout Moor to create what is believed would be England's largest onshore wind farm,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-34113160 |title=Scout Moor: 'Largest onshore wind farm' bid approved |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=1 September 2015 |website=www.bbc.co.uk/news |publisher=BBC |access-date=29 August 2016}}</ref> but the plans drew many objections from residents and two petitions were launched by local MPs opposing the scheme. In 2017 The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid MP overruled Rossendale council's decision but said he was "minded to approve" two additional turbines in Rochdale with a maximum height of 115 metres, subject to conditions, which would potentially enlarge Scout Moor to 28 turbines.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Green|first1=Charlotte|title=Government reaches verdict on Scout Moor wind farm expansion|url=http://www.rossendalefreepress.co.uk/news/government-reaches-verdict-scout-moor-13297044|access-date=24 August 2017|work=Rossendale Free Press|publisher=MEN Media group|date=7 July 2017}}</ref>

In November 2024, Cubico Sustainable Investments announced plans to expand the existing Scout Moor Wind Farm, aiming to construct 21 additional turbines. This expansion would generate over 100 megawatts of electricity, sufficient to power approximately 100,000 homes and meet more than 10% of Greater Manchester's domestic energy needs. The project represents a significant step toward achieving the UK government's target of doubling onshore wind capacity by 2030 and is the first English wind farm to progress since the end of the de facto ban.<ref>{{cite web |title=Biggest onshore windfarm in England planned to meet Greater Manchester’s energy needs |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/05/biggest-onshore-windfarm-energy-cubico-scout-moor-greater-manchester |website=The Guardian |date=November 5, 2024 |access-date=November 11, 2024}}</ref>

== Specifications ==
[[File:Scout Moor towards Rochdale.jpg|thumb|right|Turbine Tower No 9 overlooking [[Rochdale]]]]

{| class="wikitable"
|+Specifications<ref name="keyfacts"/>
|-
| Manufacturer
| [[Nordex]]
|-
| Model
| N80
|-
| Tower height
| {{convert|60|m|ft|0}}
|-
| Blade length
| {{convert|40|m|ft|0}}
|-
| Total maximum height
| {{convert|100|m|ft|0}}
|-
| Turbine weight
| {{convert|250|t|lk=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/image_galleries/250908_scoutmoor_windfarm_gallery.shtml?2|title=Scout Moor Wind Farm|work=BBC News |access-date=1 November 2008 |date=25 September 2008}}</ref>
|-
| Maximum turbine [[nameplate capacity|effect]]
| {{convert|2.5|MW|lk=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nordex-online.com/en/products-services/wind-turbines/n80-25-mw.html|publisher=nordex-online.com|author=Nordex|author-link=Nordex|access-date=4 November 2008 |title=Nordex N80 (2.5 Megawatt)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081117181208/http://www.nordex-online.com/en/products-services/wind-turbines/n80-25-mw.html <!--Added by H3llBot-->|archive-date=17 November 2008}}</ref>
|-
| Total nameplate capacity (maximum output)
| {{convert|65|MW}}
|-
| Electricity generated per annum
| {{convert|154000|MW·h|TJ|lk=on|abbr=on}}
|-
| [[Capacity factor]]
| 27%
|-
| Total [[carbon dioxide]] ({{chem|CO|2}}) displaced per annum
| {{convert|160000|t}}
|-
| Total [[sulphur dioxide]] ({{chem|SO|2}}) displaced per annum
| {{convert|2000|t}}
|-
| Total [[nitrogen oxide]]s ({{chem|NO|''x''}}) displaced per annum
| {{convert|570|t}}
|}

=== Capacity factor ===
{{Main|Wind power}}
As the figures given in the table above were published before the turbines had been operational for a full year they are projected rather than recorded figures. Wind speed is not constant, therefore a wind farm's annual energy production never achieves the sum of the generator nameplate ratings multiplied by the total hours in a year. The ratio of actual productivity in a year to this theoretical maximum is called the capacity factor. Typical capacity factors are 20–40%, with values at the upper end of the range achieved on particularly favourable sites.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.awea.org/faq/basicen.html|title=How Does A Wind Turbine's Energy Production Differ from Its Power Production?|publisher=awea.org|year=1998|author=American Wind Energy Association|author-link=American Wind Energy Association|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080313142528/http://www.awea.org/faq/basicen.html |archive-date = 13 March 2008|url-status=dead}} Retrieved 19 December 2008.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ceere.org/rerl/about_wind/RERL_Fact_Sheet_2a_Capacity_Factor.pdf |title=Wind Power: Capacity Factor, Intermittency, and what happens when the wind doesn't blow?  |publisher=ceere.org |author=Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081001205145/http://www.ceere.org/rerl/about_wind/RERL_Fact_Sheet_2a_Capacity_Factor.pdf |archive-date=1 October 2008 }} Retrieved 19 December 2008.</ref> The expected capacity factor for Scout Moor Wind Farm, calculated from the company's projected figures, is 27%. The actual capacity factor calculated from data published by [[OFGEM]] for January 2012 to December 2014 (three years of data) was 29.08%.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-09-10|title=Variable Pitch : Output of Scout Moor Wind Farm|url=http://www.variablepitch.co.uk/stations/580/output/|access-date=2021-11-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910145213/http://www.variablepitch.co.uk/stations/580/output/|archive-date=10 September 2015}}</ref><!-- Jan 2012 to December 2014 sum = 496,677 MWh.

496,677 / (65 MW * 365 days * 24 hours * 3 years) = 0.29076....

= 29.08% Capacity factor
 -->

== See also ==
{{stack|{{Portal|England|Weather|Renewable energy}}}}
* [[Energy use and conservation in the United Kingdom]]

== References ==

=== Notes ===
{{Reflist|30em}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite journal|title=The House and Farm Accounts of the Shuttleworths of Gawthorpe Hall: Part II|journal=Remains, Historical and Literary, Connected with the Palatine Counties of Lancaster and Chester|editor=Harland, John|publisher=Chetham Society|year=1856|volume=41}}
* {{cite book|title=Walking the South Pennines|last=Sellers |first=Gladys |year=1991|isbn=978-1-85284-041-9 |publisher=Cicerone Press}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|Scout Moor Wind Farm.ogg|date=2009-01-26}}
{{Commons category|Scout Moor Wind Farm}}
* [http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/ www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090908035347/http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/ |date=8 September 2009 }}, official website.
* https://www.manchesterclimate.com/news, climate change news for Greater Manchester.
* [https://www.geograph.org.uk/gallery/scout_moor_wind_farm_under_construction_6568 www.geograph.org.uk], Paul Anderson's Scout Moor construction picture gallery.

{{North West Power Stations}}
{{Wind power in the United Kingdom}}
{{Borough of Rossendale buildings}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Scout Moor Wind Farm}}
[[Category:Power stations in North West England]]
[[Category:Wind farms in England]]
[[Category:The Peel Group]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in the Borough of Rossendale]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale]]