Calderdale Council has called on the developers of a proposed onshore wind farm to scrap and restart their statutory consultation, citing serious flaws in the planning documents.
The council's formal response to the Calderdale Energy Park (CEP) consultation – which closed on 10 June – concludes that the process has not met its legal requirements due to widespread errors, inconsistencies and omissions in the environmental information provided.
The proposed development would see up to 34 turbines of up to 200 metres in height installed on moorland, with a generating capacity of around 240 megawatts.
The council says deficiencies in the consultation documents span multiple areas, including ecology, archaeology, heritage, flood risk, transport and aviation. Manchester Airport, the Ministry of Defence, the Met Office and NATS have all raised objections or significant concerns.
The council is formally requesting that CEP withdraws the consultation, addresses all identified deficiencies, and undertakes a fresh statutory consultation process.
A spokesperson for CEP said future consultations will be more detailed, adding: 'We take all feedback seriously and remain committed to constructive and ongoing engagement with Calderdale Council, statutory consultees and the local community as the project progresses through the planning process.'
