CAMPAIGNERS have drawn the battle lines ahead of a crunch meeting over plans to replace one of the oldest wind farms in the country.

The dozen turbines of the existing Kirkby Moor wind farm, which was built in 1993, stand at 139 feet tall each and are less than a mile outside the boundary of the Lake District.

Energy company RWE Innogy UK Ltd is seeking planning permission from South Lakeland District Council to replace them with six new turbines, each up to 377 feet tall, which it claims could generate up to five times as much power as the existing wind farm.

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But the application has come under fire from ten councils surrounding the site as well as Cumbria Tourism, the Furness Federation of Small Businesses, Friends of the Lake District, the Ramblers and the Open Spaces Society.

Reasons include blighting the landscape and encroaching on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) - with one opponent labelling it 'potentially the most significant planning application to be decided in Furness in living memory'.

But there have also been dozens of letters of support for the application sent to SLDC, including one from South Lakes Action on Climate Change, citing a need to move towards producing greener, cleaner renewable energy.

This is one of the first applications for a new windfarm to be held since new planning guidance was issued by Greg Clark, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in June.

The guidance said local planning authorities should reject plans on sites not included in their development plans if it does not have the backing of local communities.

Veronica Johnston, a local resident, said: "This new application is for monster turbines that will dominate the area, be visible from Kirkstone Pass, damage a site of Special Scientific interest, and ruin the lives of nearby residents.

"It is very timely that the Government has changed the rules and effectively handed the decision-making back to the people who will be most affected. No longer will a community have a wind-farm in its midst if it doesn't want one.

"And in this case all the neighbouring parishes are saying quite clearly that they don't want anything of the sort."

John Hudson, another concerned local, said: "It is potentially the most significant planning application to be decided in Furness in living memory, and given the change to planning guidance could well become a groundbreaking decision."

Mitch Mitchell, chair of Lowick Parish Council, said: "We are fighting to protect our scenery and our tourist industry. When they are so close to people's houses and local hamlets, residents’ lives are made a misery. It seems ridiculous to blight people's lives and our scenery when the technology for going offshore is now so well established."

Chris Gainey, RWE Innogy’s Kirkby Moor Project Developer said: “The existing Kirkby Moor wind farm has been generating clean energy since 1993. It is has proven to be an excellent location to harness renewable energy. Our proposal to repower seeks to continue the good work that the existing installation has been carrying out on this site since becoming operational.

“The repowered wind farm would mean a significant increase in renewable energy, generating enough clean electricity to power the equivalent needs of up to approximately 12,600 homes.”

“Almost 1,100 people have already written in to the council in support of these plans and for many different reasons.

“Locally, the construction phase could present inward investment and job opportunities.

“Our plans also mean significant improvement of the site of Special Scientific Interest and local community groups would be set to benefit from the community fund.

“Over the last 20 years £3,555 has been available each year for local community projects. However, if the repowered wind farm is built then a community fund of £5,000 per MW per year would be made available, this would equate to £60,000 per year for 12MW wind farm and

£90,000 per year for 18MW.

The application will be decided by SLDC's planning committee next Thursday (November 26) at the Coronation Hall, Ulverston.