Moor trouble on the way?
Fundraising to fight the Wind Power Planning Inquiry took a step forward last weekend at the Three Moors Celebration event in Todmorden Town Hall.
The Friends of the South Pennines and Todmorden Moor Restoration Trust raised around £300 thanks, at least in part, to 27 local businesses who donated Tombola prizes.
TMRT chairman, Sarah Pennie, said the Town Hall was filled with people enjoying frefreshments and the photomontage display, showing how the campaigners believe 125m high turbines would look on Todmorden Moor, also attracted a lot of attention.
“We are so grateful to everyone who helped us have a really successful day. Todmorden people have been brilliant, giving us wholehearted support when we really need it.”
And moorland groups are gearing up to fight another aspect of applications to place wind turbines above the town, which they have dubbed a “Common Land grab”.
Mrs Pennie said that Todmorden Moor is an Urban Common, only 2.5 miles away from the town centre, and open space that everyone can enjoy.
“The latest news is that it is now subject to yet another application, this time to remove parts of Todmorden Moor from the Common Land Register, and replace it with land near Hill Top Tip,” she said.
She said everyone with Commons Rights on Todmorden Moor is being informed by letter, and objections to the application must be sent to the Planning Inspectorate by October 31. Last week’s Todmorden News public notices section (Ocotber 2 issue) gave the address for objections.
She said land classed as “release land” — which would cease to be registered as common land, to enable construction of a five turbine windfarm including access track and ancillary development — is alongside Flower Scar Road. The “replacement land” given in return would be beside the road to Hill Top on the extreme west of the moor.
The application has been made by Todmorden Ltd, care of Coronation Power, the company which is behind the controversial windfarm proposals.
“This application under Section 16 of the new Commons Act 2006 is the first for us in this area”, said Mrs Pennie. “The common would end up being a very strange, disjointed sort of space, cut into sections. TMRT will fight alongside the commoners and residents to keep our common land.
“If people are concerned about the loss of parts of the common I suggest, first, that they go and look at the map which we are insisting must be at Customer First and Todmorden Library, not just in Halifax Town Hall. Second, please ring TMRT on 814988, or the Commoners’ Secretary on 813335, if you want any advice about objecting to the application.”
9 October 2008
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