A project that will have an impact on the whole country is happening in County Durham, but most people haven’t heard of it at all. The Norwegian company Fred. Olsen Renewables plans to build around 23 turbines bordering the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Each of them stands over 200 metres tall – which can be compared to the size of the Gherkin in London – far larger than most turbines.
With consultation open since May 6, our local reporters Carla Krenzke, Anton Weineck and Mona Schulze travelled to Barnard Castle — in partnership with The Northern Eco — to gauge opinion and awareness in the town expected to be most affected by the windfarm. Their findings have been captured in a video, now available on our Website and Facebook.
Walking the streets of the town, a pattern quickly emerged: shocked looks and the occasional flash of frustration. Most residents had heard nothing of a wind farm project that could fundamentally alter the view from their doorsteps.
As we told them some key facts of the project – a potential new access road being built, heavy disruption on the A66, far less access to the land for hikes and walks, and most fundamentally, the impact on the wildlife – reactions varied from alarmed eyes to a shoulder shrug.
The moor stretches across more than 7,000 acres and supports around 130 bird species, among them the curlew and ring ousel, both on the UK’s red list of birds of conservation concern. A significant aspect of this project is it being treated as a nationally significant infrastructure project – meaning it will be decided far away and by the energy minister Ed Miliband.
The consultation meetings, hosted by Fred. Olsen Renewables, are aiming to gain local opinion first hand and to involve them in the plans in progress. The company assures that they are open to cooperating with the community, which can be doubtful, given the fact this project has been ongoing for more than one and a half years, already brought to the government, and now having their first consultation for the public.
A local campaign group has been opposing the project for some time and held a public meeting at The Witham in Barnard Castle this Tuesday (19th May 2026).
The room was packed, as over 200 people came to discuss the situation. The meeting was chaired by Chris Foote-Wood and accompanied by Councillors Richard Bell and Jillian Campbell. The atmosphere was tense, and you could hear the frustration in the presenters’ speeches.
Veteran County Durham councillor Chris, called it “the worst, most damaging application I’ve ever seen,” urging those present to “stop this monstrosity.”
Councillor Jill Campbell declared “the development would amount to the industrialisation of one of England’s last remaining wildernesses”, describing its loss as one not just for Durham but for the entire country. Head of the Action Group, Suzy Wilson, added that vast areas of peatland — vital for carbon storage — would be at risk. To help the public grasp the enormous height of the turbines, sculptor Michael Kutz, built physical models, since the size is just so unimaginable.
Consultations will close on the 30 June and will be restarted for the second phase at the end of the year. The Campaign Group is urging everyone to inform themselves and submit an objection before June 30 — or as Chris Foote-Wood put it, to ‘stop this monstrosity.’
Story written by a volunteer community journalist for SWDN. If you would like to contribute, including writing articles, attending events on our behalf and/or taking photos, email volunteer[@]swd[.]news to get started or register interest for next workshop here.
Carla Krenzke
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
