MORE than a hundred anxious residents confronted a senior council officer last night over proposals to build two huge wind turbines on moorland south of Darwen.

The residents of Edgworth, and its surrounding areas, questioned Adam Scott, director of regeneration at Blackburn with Darwen Council, at a public meeting on proposals to build the turbines at Uglow Farm, on the top of Broadhead Valley.

Darwen and Rossendale MP Janet Anderson chaired the meeting, and Blackburn with Darwen councillors David Smith and Colin Rigby were also on the panel.

The meeting, at Barlow Institute, Edgworth, had been organised by residents who have mounted a major campaign to block the application by Julia and Angus Dootson, who live on part of Uglow Farm.

The south Darwen moorland is popular with walkers who enjoy rambling on the many footpaths and taking in the scenery.

Mr and Mrs Dootson submitted the plan in November after they were approached by National Wind Power, a wind farm owner, developer and operator.

Mr Scott and his officers will make their opinion on the application known to the planning committee before councillors make a decision.

Mr Scott said there had been a huge public response to the application, with hundreds of letters objecting to the plan.

He said: "We have had absolute bucketfuls of correspondence.

"It's certainly a very emotive subject. We know that there is a very strong feeling against this plan. There really is no doubt that people in this part of the West Pennine Moors don't want a wind farm."

Mr Scott said the application would be a test case as it was the first to be considered by the authority.

He said the plan was still not ready to go before councillors as a report into the noise made by wind turbines, commissioned by the applicants, had to be completed.

Two potential stumbling blocks for the application were raised by residents.

Barry Cahill-Haslam, of Edgworth, said he had been in discussions with a senior manager at BAE Systems at Warton who, he said, were unaware of the wind turbine application.

He said that the turbines could potentially interfere with the radar system there and he claimed the Ministry of Defence were to get involved.

And resident Vicci Hollinshead said the application was too close to residents' homes.

Other residents raised fears that if two wind turbines were allowed more will follow on land which can be seen from across the county.

Campaigner Kathryn Rogers, 28, of Bank Bottom Farm, Edgworth, said: "This meeting was held for people to get up-to-date with the planning situation.

"I think people found it helpful as it is easier to get a direct answer."

The application is likely to be decided by the planning committee in May.

A protest walk against the application has been organised for Easter Monday, April 12, from the Toby Inn, Edgworth at 10am.