![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/hope-moor-wind-farm-scheme-location.webp\")
The site of the proposed wind farm. Photograph: Hope Moor Wind Farm Action Group<\/p>\nCricket legend and life peer Ian Botham has spoken out over plans to \u201cdestroy the gorgeous countryside\u201d by installing wind farms on remote moorland.<\/p>\n
Lord Botham, who lives near Richmond, is backing a campaign to stop the Hope Moor Wind Farm, which would see 23 turbines at least 200m high installed on land between Arkengarthdale and Teesdale.<\/p>\n
The former England cricketer has also launched his own campaign to oppose proposals for Hope Moor and three other sites across the North of England.<\/p>\n
Writing in the Daily Mail, he criticised Energy Secretary Ed Miliband for his support of wind energy, claiming that there would be \u201cresounding cheers across the North of England\u201d if Andy Burnham did not include the MP in his cabinet if he became Prime Minister.<\/p>\n
Lord Botham said: \u201cMiliband is planning to destroy the gorgeous countryside of four counties here in the North with 94 monster wind turbines.\u201d<\/p>\n
The site of the proposed wind farm. Photograph: Hope Moor Wind Farm Action Group<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cThese unbelievably huge contraptions \u2013 up to 230 metres tall \u2013 would be placed on top of hills around County Durham\u2019s stunning Barningham Moor; wild and desolate Ray Fell in Northumberland; rugged Scout Moor in Lancashire; and Walshaw Moor in West Yorkshire \u2013 long associated with the Bronte sisters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey would be visible for dozens of miles, ruining the landscape over much of the North.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn top of that, new access roads would cut through the moors along with miles of pylons as the power would be generated where it is not needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The peer said the landscapes were \u201cpart of the wealth of the North\u201d, adding: \u201cWalk through the breathtaking beauty of places like Barningham Moor and, whatever kind of day you are having, life is transformed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claiming the proposed wind farms would damage both the environment and the local economy, as well as threaten bird species and disturb areas of peatland, the former cricketer has launched his own \u201cNot One Moor\u201d campaign to oppose the developments.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will concede nothing and fight everything,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u2018Fighting spirit\u2019<\/p>\n
In the column Lord Botham called on Northern Labour MPs including \u00a0Sam Rushworth, who represents Bishop Auckland and Darlington MP Lola McEvoy to fight against what he called \u201cmonuments to Miliband\u2019s madness\u201d.<\/p>\n
The comments have been welcomed by members of the Hope Moor Wind Farm Action Group, which was launched to fight the Hope Moor development.<\/p>\n
Suzy Wilson, chair of the group, said: \u201cIt is almost exactly 45 years since he led England to that amazing Ashes victory at Headingley against overwhelming odds, and we know that he will demonstrate the same fighting spirit against the planned development of Hope Moor Wind Farm.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe found it incredulous that the wind farm would be so close to the national park and would blight vast swathes of precious landscape and impact upon the Coast to Coast and Pennine Way footpaths.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wish him well in his campaign in Westminster and we will continue to work at a grassroots level to raise awareness and build up support to campaign against the industrialisation of the Yorkshire Dales landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fred Olsen Renewables, which is behind the Hope Moor plans, has said it recognised the proposed wind farm had generated a range of opinions, with some people supporting its contribution to renewable energy, local benefits and energy security, while others raised concerns.<\/p>\n
Project leaders say the proposal is undergoing a full environmental impact assessment covering issues such as peat, birdlife, flood risk, landscape and construction impacts, with the findings subject to independent scrutiny.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cricket legend and life peer Ian Botham has spoken out over plans to \u201cdestroy the gorgeous countryside\u201d by…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":669620,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[1721,101,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-669619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cricket","tag-cricket","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=669619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669619\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/669620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=669619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=669619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=669619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}