BURY MP David Chaytor has come down in favour of the controversial wind farm plans for Scout Moor.

His stance is at odds with his Labour colleague and Rossendale MP Janet Anderson, who said there was so much local opposition that it was inconceivable it could go ahead.

Mr Chaytor supports her call for a public inquiry into the £50 million project, which would see 26 300ft turbines put up.

But he urges objectors to think again and support safe, clean and renewable forms of electricity generation.

"Wind power will play a vital role in helping to resolve the coming energy crisis and the Pennines will need to play an important role in generating electricity from wind," said the Bury North MP.

"While I would be the first to oppose the idea of destroying areas of exceptionally high landscape value, there is always a balance to be struck between the advantages of clean, renewable electricity and the impact of wind turbines on the natural environment.

"The plain truth of the matter is that we cannot continue to generate most of our electricity from the burning of coal, gas and oil, the finite fossil fuels that are responsible for destructive climate change.

"And now that both of Britain's nuclear generating companies are bankrupt, and the taxpayer faces a multi-billion pound bill for decommissioning the nuclear industry, few people see nuclear as the solution to the problem."

Mr Chaytor said he would oppose plans to build a wind farm on Holcombe Hill, saying this would be an inappropriate site. But he says this is not a case of "not in my back yard", adding that he supported wind farms near his home in Todmorden.

The MP, while supporting the Scout Moor plans in principle, said there were many details still to thrash out.

But he added: "If we say that we fully support clean, renewable energy and are all in favour of wind farms in principle, but then oppose a wind farm when it is proposed in our own back yard, we are sliding dangerously close to hypocrisy."