The Ministry of Defence has warned that plans for a 23-turbine wind farm in the Yorkshire countryside could interfere with military radar systems used to detect hostile aircraft and incoming missiles.
The proposed Hope Moor Wind Farm, featuring turbines some 200 metres tall, has been fast-tracked under the national planning process for major energy infrastructure.
The final decision rests with Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh, although the scheme has raised national security concerns over the Government’s drive to expand renewable energy under Net Zero.
In a letter to planning officials, the MoD’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation warned that the development would cause “unacceptable interference” to radar systems at RAF Leeming and Brizlee Wood.
The former, which operates air traffic control radar, is 19 miles from the proposed site, while the latter hosts air defence radar 67 miles away.
The MoD said the impact could undermine the RAF’s ability to protect British airspace, warning the development could prevent the service “from effectively performing its primary function of air defence of the United Kingdom”.
Military officials say rotating turbine blades can create radar clutter and generate misleading signals resembling fast-moving aircraft – making genuine threats harder to distinguish, and compromising the detection of low-flying aircraft.
During training exercises, some aircraft operate at altitudes of just 250ft, and would be directly obscured by the signals.
During training exercises, some aircraft operate at altitudes of just 250ft, and would be directly obscured by the signals
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The MoD said: “Consider a low-flying object near a wind farm. The ability to at first detect and then track is the major objective of air surveillance. Any disruption caused by excessive clutter may adversely affect national security and/or safety.”
The warning comes amid tensions between the MoD and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, over the placement of renewable energy developments.
The Government changed planning rules in December to allow onshore wind farms to qualify as nationally significant infrastructure projects, enabling them to bypass the conventional local planning system.
Hope Moor would be built on open moorland south of Barnard Castle and north of Richmond in County Durham. Developer Fred Olsen Renewables says the scheme could supply enough electricity for some 135,000 homes, supporting the UK’s net zero ambitions.
However, the project has also faced criticism from residents and politicians concerned about damage to the landscape near the Yorkshire Dales, and potential harm to surrounding peatland.
Lord Botham, the former England cricketer leading the Not One Moor campaign, argued the Government is placing environmental ambitions ahead of defence.
Meanwhile, councillor Angus Thompson said the MoD’s intervention strengthened the case for abandoning the project, and argued existing concerns over landscape damage and electricity costs had now been compounded.
Fred Olsen Renewables said it remained committed to addressing the concerns, confirming it would “continue to work with” the MoD to mitigate potential effects on military operations, radar, telecommunications and flight paths.
The Government changed planning rules in December to allow onshore wind farms to qualify as nationally significant infrastructure projects (file pic)
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Euan Hutchison, the company’s UK development director, said the project remained at an early stage, and that national security was a priority.
A spokesman for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said all onshore wind developments undergo rigorous planning assessments covering defence, security, environmental impacts and community concerns.
The department failed to comment further while the Hope Moor application remains under consideration.
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