A BID to keep the turbines turning at Kirkby Moor Wind Farm for eight extra years is being made.

The collection of 12 three-bladed 400kW turbines, sited on heather moorland at Kirkby Moor and Lowick High Commons, was one of the UK's first and began generating electricity back in August 1993.

The wind farm 2km south-east of Grizebeck is due to reach the end of its 25-year permitted life in August 2018. But London-based Zephyr Investments is seeking consent from South Lakeland District Council to keep the turbines in situ until March 2027, followed by another year to decommission the site.

According to planning documents, the nearest turbine to the Lake District National Park boundary is 840 metres away. Most of the site falls within the Kirkby Moor Site of Special Scientific Interest for its upland heather habitat.

The closest house is 805 metres away - the equivalent of 23 rotor diameters.

The wind farm's capacity is 4.8MW and it generates enough electricity to power an average 2,700 UK homes per year.