Site Location & Context
Calderdale Energy Park would be located across 2,352 hectares of land at Walshaw Moor, on either side of the three Walshaw Dean Reservoirs in the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, West Yorkshire.
Calderdale Energy Park offers an opportunity to generate approximately 300MW of renewable energy – enough to power around 250,000 homes – equivalent to a city the size of Bradford.
Site Description
The Site is an upland moorland plateau with a diverse range of habitats, including:
- Blanket bog
- Wet and dry heath
- Bracken
- Unimproved upland acid grassland, home to rare fungi species
- Agricultural fields in the southern, lower parts of the site
- Watercourses and coniferous woodlands
The land is predominantly covered by peat, with depths exceeding 40 cm in places, making it a key carbon store. It is currently managed as a grouse moorland, with land use practices focused on game production.
The Site is located within the following designations:
- South Pennine Moors Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
- South Pennine Moors Special Protection Area (SPA)
- South Pennine Moors Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
What do these designations mean?
SSSI: A nationally important site that is the largest area of unenclosed moorland within West Yorkshire and contains diverse and extensive upland plant communities
SPA: An internationally important site that is designated for birds such as the merlin and European golden plover
SAC: An internationally important site that is designated for its habitats including heathland, blanket bog, mires and quaking bogs and old sessile oak woods.
Onshore wind can be compatible with these designations, and we are undertaking further assessments to better understand the characteristics of the Site in more detail and how Calderdale Energy Park will affect them.
While there are limited statutory heritage designations on the Site, Calderdale Energy Park is located within the Brontë Country, which is an area of historical and cultural importance. The Site is in close proximity to Hardcastle Crags, a renowned natural landscape comprising a wooded Pennine valley.
Given the Site’s heritage value, we are committed to respecting the local historical and cultural features throughout the planning and development process.
Get in touch
Community information line:
01422 702506
Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:30 pm
Email us at:
info@calderdaleenergypark.co.uk
Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:30 pm
Write to us:
Freepost CALDERDALE ENERGY PARK
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