24 February 2006

Rochdale Borough Council's Pennines Planning Committee last night (23rd February) granted approval to Coronation Power for the temporary erection of an anemometer mast. The met mast will test the strength and direction of the wind over land known as Crook Hill, near the village of Whitworth and will be installed for an approximate period of 12 months once all other relevant consents have been obtained.

Paul Taylor, Coronation Power's Community Relations Manager said: "We welcome the committee's decision. The mast will provide us with valuable data on the site's viability for a small wind farm. The met mast is a 60-metre aluminium tower, fixed to the ground by guyed cables, so its erection will only have a limited physical impact on the moor."

The met mast is an important part of Coronation's assessment of Crook Hill as a site for a wind farm of no more than 5 turbines with a capacity of 11.5MW. A comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment of the land, looking at a range of issues such as bird movements, the ecology of the land, the visual impact and noise will also be undertaken by Coronation Power before a decision is made to submit a planning application.

For further information please contact:
Coronation Power
Mary Gallagher (Public Relations Manager)
T: 020 7490 0669
E: mary@coronationpower.com