Calderdale Wind Farm - A Hostile Act?
A Public Forum to explore the Environmental and Cultural Impact of De-Wilding Walshaw Moor
Birchcliffe Centre, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire
Wednesday 15 May 2024
Organised by the Pennine Heritage Trust and Hebden Bridge Literary & Scientific Society in association with Stop Calderdale Wind Farm
There was a great response to the Public Forum organised recently by the Pennine Heritage Trust and Hebden Bridge Literary & Scientific Society in association with Stop Calderdale Wind Farm. Over 250 people attended the event at the Birchcliffe Centre in Hebden Bridge on 15 May. Entitled Calderdale Wind Farm - A Hostile Act, the purpose of the Forum was to explore the Environmental and Cultural Impact of De-Wilding Walshaw Moor.
Nature and travel writer Horatio Clare opened proceedings with an impassioned plea to save Walshaw Moor from destruction, stressing the significance of its remarkable biodiversity and rich wildlife, particularly the ground-nesting birds which return to the moor to breed each spring. He made a stinging attack on the landowner and the developers for proposing such an environmentally damaging scheme on a Site of Special Scientific Interest, accusing them of cynical green-washing for financial gain.
Carl Lawrence, Emeritus Professor at the University of Leeds - Engineering, gave a fascinating in-depth presentation called Wind Farms on Peat – The Green Debate. As well as highlighting the enormous physical damage that would be caused by constructing 65 huge turbines on 9 square miles of highly sensitive peat moorland, he outlined the disastrous knock-on effects of destroying the precious blanket bogs, which are vital for both carbon sequestration and water storage. In addition to the huge carbon footprint of the construction project, the wind farm would increase carbon emissions through lasting damage to the peat and increase the risk of flooding in the Calder Valley. Based on extensive research and packed with valuable scientific information, Carl Lawrence’s slides can by viewed by clicking here.
In a talk entitled Ted Hughes and Walshaw Moor: ‘A stage for the performance of heaven’, Dr Steve Ely, Director of the Ted Hughes Network at the University of Huddersfield, explained how the moorland landscape of the Upper Calder Valley had shaped the poetic voice of Ted Hughes as a child and continued to inspire his poetry throughout his life. The moor was a recurrent theme in many poems, particularly in Hughes’s collection Remains of Elmet, published in 1979. The destruction of this landscape by the wind farm would not only be an environmental disaster but would inflict lasting cultural damage on Calderdale. Click here for more information.
Local walker and environmental campaigner Nina Smith listed some of the endangered birds which thrive on Walshaw Moor, including Red-Listed curlews, lapwings and skylarks. As well as being an SSSI, Walshaw Moor is also designated as a Special Protection Area because of the international significance of its birds, with golden plovers being particularly important. This talk was graphically illustrated by a sequence of photographs highlighting The Endangered Birds and Habitats of Walshaw Moor SSSI. Click here to view slides.
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Following the presentations, members of the audience were invited to make contributions to the debate. MIke Tull, President of the Hebden Bridge Literary & Scientific Society and Chair of the Pennine Heritage Trust, who chaired the forum, said:
“These plans - if taken forward – will fundamentally change the nature of the Calder Valley and the surrounding area. We felt it was important to provide a forum where the facts could be laid out and discussed, enabling people to make up their minds about the scheme.”
The Public Forum was previewed on BBC Look North Yorkshire and Radio Leeds on 14 May and on ITV Calendar News on 15 May. The Look North feature included interviews with Horatio Clare and campaigners from Stop Calderdale Wind Farm.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Forum and to all the speakers and the organisers.