MoD objects to 200-metre turbines at Hope Moor, citing radar interference risk

The Ministry of Defence has lodged a formal objection to the Hope Moor wind farm, which would install 23 turbines up to 200 metres tall across the North Yorkshire and County Durham countryside. In a letter to the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero, the MoD warned that the turbines could create unacceptable interference with radar at RAF Leeming, 30 km away, and with an air-defence radar at Brizzlee Wood, 108 km distant, as well as presenting a collision risk to RAF aircraft that operate as low as 76 m during training.

Because the project is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, the final decision rests with energy secretary Ed Miliband, bypassing normal planning procedures. Lord Botham, a local cross-bench peer and former England cricketer, has publicly attacked the proposal, saying it jeopardises pilots and the region’s scenery. Fred Olsen Renewables, the developer, argues the farm would generate enough clean electricity for roughly 135,000 homes and help meet climate targets. Conservative councillor Angus Thompson echoed the MoD’s concerns, calling the scheme a threat to national security and urging its abandonment.