Temporary weather mast gets planners' green light

PLANNING permission had been granted for a temporary weather mast at Rooley Moor in Rossendale, to measure wind conditions for the potential new Scout Moor II wind turbine development.

- BY ROBBIE MACDONALD

Cubico Sustainable Investments has been given approval with conditions by Rossendale Council's Development Control Committee to erect a temporary 91 metre-high meteorological mast with equipment on land west of Rooley Moor Road, bordering Rossendale and Rochdale. The application was deferred last month to allow for public feedback on a separate, but linked, application for signs around the Rooley Moor site. No feedback was received regarding the signs. But other objections have been received regarding the weather mast.

Concerns include potential physical damage to moorland peat areas and the historic Cotton Famine Road, transport access, the visual impact of a mast, its impact on walkers, horse riders and others in the outdoors; harm to nesting birds or disturbance to sheep during lambing.

'MOOR CAN HELP TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE'

At the council planning meeting, objector Alan Rawsterne of Rooley Moor Neighbourhood Forum spoke again against the weather mast plan and the wider Scout Moor II proposal. A separate application is expected soon for the proposed new wind farm, the meeting heard. An existing wind farm currently operates at Scout Moor, above Edenfield.

Mr Rawsterne said his neighbourhood group opposed the whole Scout Moor II wind farm project. He said Rooley Moor has significant and some of the most-resilient peatland which could be used, and enhanced, to ease the impact of climate change, such as with bio-diversity, carbon savings, flooding and fires.