Agency is to look into wind farm flood claim
DID a wind farm on the moors above Whitworth lead to the town flooding on Boxing Day?
That’s the question an investigation launched by the Environment Agency is looking to answer.
It comes after Rossendale MP Jake Berry raised concerns that the Crook Hill wind farm led to rainwater flooding into Whitworth - and not Watergrove reservoir and Wardle on the other side of the hill as might previously have been the case.
Parts of Market Street and Tong Lane and Old Lane in Shawforth were flooded on Boxing Day.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “At this early stage of the investigation we are unable to comment whether the windfarm caused flooding – we are gathering all of the relevant information and will share our findings in due course.”
Partnerships for Renewables, who built and operate the 11 turbine windfarm, said they ‘welcome the investigation and will co-operate fully’.
A spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, flooding has been an issue in Whitworth for a number of years prior to the wind farm construction and the situation experienced in December 2015 was an extreme flood event which also affected large ●●MP Jake Berry has raised concerns that the Crook Hill windfarm led to flooding in Whitworth (inset) on Boxing Day 2015 parts of Rochdale and other areas of Greater Manchester.”
Rossendale MP Jake Berry said concerns raised at a local flood forum meeting earlier this month needed to be investigated ‘as a matter of urgency’.
He added: “There have been major changes to the geography at the top of the moors and this needs to be looked into as a matter of urgency.
“After hearing this news from the latest flood forum meeting, I met with the Environment Agency and have triggered a formal investigation with them about the wind farm and the change to the watershed on Crook Hill.”
Partnerships for Renewables said the wind farm includes an ‘extensive network of surface water drainage and attenuation designed to avoid additional flows towards Whitworth’.
Mark Robinson, assistant director of planning and development at Rochdale council, said: “The application for Crook Hill windfarm was refused by our planning committee in 2009, but this decision was subsequently overturned on appeal by the government’s planning inspectorate. The developer subsequently amended the access arrangements to the site, and these new access arrangements were granted permission by the council in 2011. The access change was the only matter before the council for a decision at that time.”
A Rossendale council spokesman said: “The council welcomes the investigation by the Environment Agency on this matter and is committed to working closely with all relevant parties.”