Fylde Residents Deserve the Truth: A Third Windfarm Kept Secret!

As an Independent candidate for Fylde East Division of Lancashire County Council (LCC), I want to ensure that you—the residents of Kirkham and Wesham, Newton with Clifton, Treales, Roseacre and Wharles—have the full facts about what lies ahead for our communities under the current Conservative leadership's mismanagement of windfarm infrastructure planning.

This is not just about a single windfarm proposal — it's about three major energy infrastructure projects, all likely to impact our area. Yet the Conservative leadership at Fylde Council has remained silent, withholding vital information and dismissing a viable alternative that could have significantly reduced disruption and brought economic growth to the region.

Three Projects. Up to 14 Years of Disruption.

Let’s be clear: the "Morgan and Morecambe" windfarm is not a single project — it's two entirely separate developments.

Each of these projects requires its own cable route and substation, which is why two massive substations are planned to be built between Kirkham, Newton, and Freckleton. These industrial-scale sites would be constructed on greenbelt land, permanently altering the rural character of our area.

Worse still, there could be a gap of up to four years between when the Morgan project begins and when Morecambe starts. Each project is expected to take approximately five years to complete. That means our communities could face up to nine years—or more—of construction traffic, noise, dust, road closures, and landscape destruction.

And it doesn’t end there.

A third offshore windfarm project, Mooir Vannin, is being planned to connect to the same section of the national grid at Penwortham. Early indications suggest the Mooir Vannin cables could follow the same route as Morgan and Morecambe—potentially adding another five years of disruption.

This could bring the total period of disturbance to fourteen years or more. Mooir Vannin would require a third substation, almost certainly located between Newton, Kirkham, and Freckleton.

The Conservative Leader Knew. And Said Nothing.

In December 2022, Cllr Karen Buckley, Leader of Fylde Council, attended a meeting of the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Economic Prosperity Board (EPB) where the Morgan and Morecambe proposals were presented. These plans included offshore energy generation and extensive onshore infrastructure. Yet she failed to share this information with all councillors or the public. The EPB is tasked with delivering effective oversight on the work being undertaken in the Enterprise Zones and providing political accountability on strategic matters for the Fylde coast.

In March 2024, I personally sent Cllr Buckley a detailed proposal for an alternative cable route via Stanah substation and the Hillhouse Enterprise Zone—one that could save taxpayers over £450 million, avoid the destruction of greenbelt, and use existing industrial land and infrastructure. She claimed it had already been dismissed by the developers and made no effort to press for further scrutiny. I can find no evidence of Stanah ever being considered.

Local Councillors Took the Lead Instead

In the absence of leadership from Fylde’s and LCC’s Conservatives, I stepped up, and acting not as a Fylde Councillor but as a Newton with Clifton Parish Councillor, I brought together a team: three other councillors from Newton with Clifton and one from Treales, Roseacre and Wharles. Together, we formed the LALC Fylde Area Energy Working Group.

We researched, investigated, and promoted the Stanah-Hillhouse route to Penwortham and beyond, which could not only deliver the infrastructure faster, at significantly lower cost, and with far less environmental harm, but also bring economic growth and opportunity to the region. In October 2024, I and another parish councillor briefed Cllr Buckley, the Chair and Vice Chair of Fylde’s Planning Committee, and senior officers on our findings.

But they still didn’t tell us what they knew.

They failed to mention the Mooir Vannin windfarm project at all. We only discovered its existence by accident—despite the Conservative leadership having been briefed on it as early as May 2024.

Economic Growth and Opportunity

Offshore wind isn’t just about turbines and cables—it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revitalise our local economy. By landing 2 GW of clean, green power on the Fylde Coast, we can:

• Create over 3,000 construction jobs and 400 long-term operations and maintenance roles supporting the Morgan, Morecambe, and Mooir Vannin projects.

• Fuel high-energy industries on the Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone (HTEZ)—from advanced materials and green hydrogen to AI data centres and clean-tech manufacturing.

• Leverage Fleetwood Port and the reactivated rail link to build a regional offshore wind supply chain hub, boosting local businesses and apprenticeships.

• Channel private investment totalling over £12 billion across Eastern Irish Sea projects, with economic spillover across tourism, services, and logistics.

• Save over £450 million by using the Stanah-Hillhouse route—resources that could be reinvested in community infrastructure, schools, and flood resilience.

Our smarter, joined-up approach turns windfarm challenges into opportunities: cleaner, cheaper, faster delivery of power that supports local growth, skills, and prosperity.

The Cost of Conservative Silence

The Conservatives' failure to disclose information and explore alternatives will result in:

• The unnecessary destruction of over 600 acres of farmland and greenbelt

• Three massive industrial substations scarring the rural landscape

• Years of construction-related noise, pollution, and road closures

• Long-term risks to drainage, flood resilience, and local wildlife habitats

• Cumulative disruption lasting more than a decade

• £450M of unnecessary spending that will be passed on to consumers

• Missed opportunities for economic growth

Had the Leader of Fylde Council not kept the Morgan and Morecambe proposals a secret, the Stanah-Hillhouse alternative route could have been identified and proposed much earlier. This would have allowed the developers sufficient time to properly investigate the route and potentially adopt it before submitting their formal planning application.

The failure to share this information in a timely manner - I only became aware of this project at the same time as you - has not only denied the community a voice in shaping the proposals but also closed the door on a faster, cheaper, and less environmentally damaging solution. As a result, an opportunity was missed to present a viable alternative that could have dramatically reduced the impact on our communities. The silence and lack of transparency from the Conservative leadership has now left residents of Fylde facing up to 14 years of disruption that could have been largely avoided.

Fylde Deserves Better

This is not simply poor judgment. It is a deliberate choice to keep communities in the dark. We deserve leaders who will act transparently, listen to residents, and push back on developers when better solutions are available.

But all is not lost. It could be crucial at the Public Inquiry for inspectors to be made aware of the alternative cable route. Development of open countryside is permissible in exceptional circumstances—but if there is a better alternative, then the circumstances are not exceptional.

As an Independent candidate for Fylde East, I promise to fight for community-first planning, sustainable development, and full transparency in all matters that affect our lives.

✅ VOTE PETER COLLINS – INDEPENDENT, EXPERIENCED, AND FIGHTING FOR FYLDE’S FUTURE

No party politics. No hidden agenda.

Just a strong, experienced voice for your community.

📧 Get in touch: petercollins4568@aol.com

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