THE Moorland landscape around Burnley and Pendle is in danger of being destroyed by wind farm developers, a Euro-MP has warned.

Chris Davies, the new Liberal Democrat representative for the North West, has made clear his opposition to wind farm schemes currently being proposed for Hogshead Law Hill above Bacup and Great Hill above Littleborough.

Although a keen supporter of the development of wind energy, Mr Davies says the issue finds environmentalists on both sides of the argument.

He believes the loss of precious landscape is too great a price to pay.

The former Littleborough and Saddleworth MP fears there is a danger that the area is now being targeted by wind farm developers and that local councils will be "picked off" one at a time.

The South Pennines have been declared a Heritage Area by local authorities, but Mr Davies claims that hills and moorland remain vulnerable because they fall between the Peak District National Park to the south and the Yorkshire Dales National Park to the north, both with strong planning protection.

He said: "We live in one of the most densely populated parts of Europe so our open spaces are of great value.

"No single wind farm scheme may seem a threat, but the cumulative result of every local council giving its approval to these bids will be the loss of a precious landscape and wild area."

Mr Davies added: "Britain should follow Denmark's example by building windfarms around our coastlines."

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