CONTROVERSIAL plans to build an extra 16 wind turbines at Scout Moor wind farm have been approved.

Peel Energy and United Utilities submitted the joint venture to build thirteen 115-metre turbines and three 100-metre turbines on the land between Rawtenstall and Edenfield.

Rossendale Borough Council’s development control committee voted to approve the plans by a majority of five to two on Tuesday night.

Jonathan England, development director at Peel Energy said: “We are delighted that Rossendale members agreed with the officer recommendation and supported our planning application to expand Scout Moor wind farm.

“The next step is to await the outcome of a review of the application by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who will decide whether he wishes to call in the application for his own determination.

“We hope that the Secretary of State will recognise that we have achieved support for our proposals through genuine collaboration with a range of stakeholders.

“This has resulted in a proposed a scheme which is respectful of and sensitive to the local environment. We feel we have the ‘balance’ right.

“This is in addition, of course, to the production of clean, renewable electricity to power the equivalent of 20,000 homes.”

A spokesman for Communities Against Scout Moor Wind Farm said: “These proposals do not have the support of the communities affected by the proposals. Using Rossendale's own figures, 97 per cent of people had objected.

“MPs David Nuttall, Jake Berry and Simon Danczuk had all objected, as well as councillors from Rochdale, Bury and Calderdale.

“Government policy requires Rossendale to refuse the application if it does not have majority support.

“Yet Rossendale councillors appeared to ignore the facts, and the duties on them, and we have to ask ourselves why they did that.

“A practising GP from Ramsbottom also advised the committee that Government is currently reviewing the health affects of turbines which evidentially cause sleep disturbance - a point that Rochdale's own planning officer had also agreed with.

“The GP suggested the committee should defer the decision until that review was complete. They appeared to ignore him too.”

The original plan was to build 26 turbines at the recommissioned wind farm, but that was subsequently changed to 16.

Planners had recommended the proposal for approval while Ministry of Defence officials had objected to the plans on the grounds that the turbines would affect air traffic control radar at Warton Airfield.

Edenfield Village Residents' Association and the Holcombe Society had also opposed the plans.