GREEN champion and broadcaster David Bellamy paid a visit to the proposed £50million wind farm site near Edenfield yesterday.

He has already thrown his support behind the campaign to block plans for the massive development -- that would provide enough power for every household in Rossendale.

According to United Utilities and Peel Holdings, who are behind the plans for 26 turbines on Scout Moor, the farm will provide clean, green electricity without producing harmful emissions or leaving a legacy of pollution.

Campaigners met with David at Nutters Restaurant, near Edenfield, to lead a moorland march round the Scout Moor.

Giving his backing to the campaign group set up by local residents, David said: "Wind power in Britain -- no matter how much wind we have out there -- will not allow us to close down our conventional and nuclear power stations .

"To ensure that you don't just have power to fuel industry, to run the hospitals, and to make home life civilised when the wind is blowing, all the other power stations have to be maintained. So wind power is always going to be an additional source of power, an extra cost of provision, never an alternative.

"It doesn't deserve the title of alternative because it is simply a surplus on top, by its very nature."

David's support will give campaigners a boost after United Utilities revealed that a phone poll by MORI North found 72 per cent of households quizzed were in favour of the development.

So far Rossendale Council has received 1,074 letters against the wind farm and only 25 in support. Its development control committee is due to make a decision on the plans when it meets on Tuesday, December 9.