East Lancashire countryside is set to be given special protection

3:53pm Friday 14th September 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Peter Magill, Chief reporter

East Lancashire countryside is set to be given special protection East Lancashire countryside is set to be given special protection

MOORLAND across East Lancashire could be given special protection under proposals being considered by conservation watchdog Natural England.

Plans are being drawn up to make the West Pennine Moors, home to some of the north-west's most stunning scenery, into a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

The protected status could eventually cover a 90 square mile area from the edge of Blackburn, Darwen, Oswaldtwistle and Haslingden, across to Chorley and down to Ramsbotton, Stubbins and Belmont.

If it covered the entire moors it would take in the likes of Darwen Moor, Winter Hill, Rivington Pike, Angelzarke and surrounding reservoirs, Haslingden's moorland, and encompass whole villages such as Tockholes, Hoddlesden, Belthorn, Edgworth, Turton, Belmont, Brinscall and Withnell.

Alice Kimpton, a lead adviser for Natural England in the north west, said in a presentation to county councillors that the organisation had been asked to look at a SSSI designation by the West Pennine Moors Management Committee and Lancashire MPs.

She said: “The West Pennine Moors is an area rich in wildlife and important habitats and has an excellent carbon storage capacity."

Currently a survey is being undertaken to determine the exact boundaries which should be incorporated under the SSSI programme.

This along with similar work on the range of species across the moors will then be presented to Natural England next February.

Further assessment will then need to be undertaken on the research findings and, if all the critieria are met, the SSSI designation could be made around Christmas 2013.

Councils bordering the moors such as Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Rossendale and Chorley should be consulted as part of the process.

And the views of individuals and environmental groups would also be considered.

Further information is expected to be placed on the West Pennine Moors website: (www.westpenninemoors.com) during the consultation period and notices placed at strategic points across the moors.

Comments (8)

4:19pm Fri 14 Sep 12

ToffeeGuy says...

Too late for those hideous eyesores currently under construction on Oswaldtwistle Moor.
Too late for those hideous eyesores currently under construction on Oswaldtwistle Moor. ToffeeGuy

4:53pm Fri 14 Sep 12

lwg76 says...

Yet more of our fair land being put under the control of unelected self important nobodies.
Yet more of our fair land being put under the control of unelected self important nobodies. lwg76

4:57pm Fri 14 Sep 12

RUinsane says...

Good news just gotta knock them windmills down above hoddlesden and we're laughing, Blinking eysore
Good news just gotta knock them windmills down above hoddlesden and we're laughing, Blinking eysore RUinsane

5:03pm Fri 14 Sep 12

Noiticer says...

A bit like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted but better late than never. How could Hyndburn Borough Council allow those hideous wind turbines to totally ruin the skyline of our valley. Shame on them for commiting official vandalism.
A bit like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted but better late than never. How could Hyndburn Borough Council allow those hideous wind turbines to totally ruin the skyline of our valley. Shame on them for commiting official vandalism. Noiticer

1:44am Sat 15 Sep 12

anonther says...

Noiticer wrote:
A bit like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted but better late than never. How could Hyndburn Borough Council allow those hideous wind turbines to totally ruin the skyline of our valley. Shame on them for commiting official vandalism.
Quite right. Thousands of tons of concrete gone into the moorland for foundations - never to be removed. The Irish sea is being defiled in the same way. Thousands of tons of of stone being shipped from quarries in the Lake District and the Western Isles to be dumped into the sea to provide stable foundations for the off shore windfarms. How green is that?
[quote][p][bold]Noiticer[/bold] wrote: A bit like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted but better late than never. How could Hyndburn Borough Council allow those hideous wind turbines to totally ruin the skyline of our valley. Shame on them for commiting official vandalism.[/p][/quote]Quite right. Thousands of tons of concrete gone into the moorland for foundations - never to be removed. The Irish sea is being defiled in the same way. Thousands of tons of of stone being shipped from quarries in the Lake District and the Western Isles to be dumped into the sea to provide stable foundations for the off shore windfarms. How green is that? anonther

1:51am Sat 15 Sep 12

anonther says...

"How could Hyndburn Borough Council allow those hideous wind turbines"
.
Could it have been because there will be payment, by the operators, in the region of £2.5milion over the next 25 years to the Prospects Foundation. I guess this will relieve HBC of providing any future funding for the Foundadtion.
"How could Hyndburn Borough Council allow those hideous wind turbines" . Could it have been because there will be payment, by the operators, in the region of £2.5milion over the next 25 years to the Prospects Foundation. I guess this will relieve HBC of providing any future funding for the Foundadtion. anonther

8:41am Sat 15 Sep 12

mavrick says...

lwg76 wrote:
Yet more of our fair land being put under the control of unelected self important nobodies.
If you happen to live in one of the villages mentioned then you will have difficulty in selling your house. You would have to apply to these peole for permission to do anything. As for Hyndburn council giving permission for the wind farm, I think you will find they didn't really have a choice, the government would have over ruled them.
[quote][p][bold]lwg76[/bold] wrote: Yet more of our fair land being put under the control of unelected self important nobodies.[/p][/quote]If you happen to live in one of the villages mentioned then you will have difficulty in selling your house. You would have to apply to these peole for permission to do anything. As for Hyndburn council giving permission for the wind farm, I think you will find they didn't really have a choice, the government would have over ruled them. mavrick

2:30pm Sat 15 Sep 12

sean_brfc says...

mavrick wrote:
lwg76 wrote:
Yet more of our fair land being put under the control of unelected self important nobodies.
If you happen to live in one of the villages mentioned then you will have difficulty in selling your house. You would have to apply to these peole for permission to do anything. As for Hyndburn council giving permission for the wind farm, I think you will find they didn't really have a choice, the government would have over ruled them.
I can't see it having much impact on house prices. It's a good thing if more time is spent protecting the moors.
[quote][p][bold]mavrick[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]lwg76[/bold] wrote: Yet more of our fair land being put under the control of unelected self important nobodies.[/p][/quote]If you happen to live in one of the villages mentioned then you will have difficulty in selling your house. You would have to apply to these peole for permission to do anything. As for Hyndburn council giving permission for the wind farm, I think you will find they didn't really have a choice, the government would have over ruled them.[/p][/quote]I can't see it having much impact on house prices. It's a good thing if more time is spent protecting the moors. sean_brfc

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