Mountaineer Slams Yorkshire Dales Wind Farm

A proposed wind farm on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales has drawn significant criticism from local communities and prominent figures, including celebrated mountaineer Alan Hinkes. The project, planned by Norwegian company Fred. Olsen Renewables, involves 23 turbines over 200m high on moorland between Arkengarthdale and Teesdale.

Hinkes, an OBE recipient and the first Briton to summit all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks, voiced his opposition, emphasizing the potential for permanent alteration to a nationally significant landscape. While acknowledging the need for renewable energy and net-zero ambitions, he believes such large-scale developments should be situated in more appropriate locations, such as near population centers or industrial areas.

Further concerns raised include the potential disturbance of extensive peatland, which could release carbon and undermine the project's environmental benefits. The proximity of the proposed site to military low-flying training routes has also been questioned. The Hope Moor Wind Farm Action Group, supported by figures like cricketer Ian Botham and the Duke of Norfolk, is campaigning against the development, arguing it would industrialize the moorland.