RESIDENTS fighting plans for windfarms above Darwen's moorland have been warned: "The alternative is more nuclear power."

Renewables Northwest, which is in favour of windfarms, claims that campaign groups such as those fighting plans for two 95- metre wind turbines in Edgworth, need to come up with suitable alternatives.

They claim anti-windfarm leaders such as Sir Bernard Ingham want a nuclear 'renaissance' instead.

RNW managing director Julian Carter said: "Campaigners need to provide an alternative.

"It seems the well-known people opposing them want more nuclear waste.

"They need to get rid of their NIMBY attitudes.

"In the face of undeniable climate change we have to ditch our dependency on fossil fuels. Our choice is simple: do we go for a combination of renewable energy developments and energy efficiency measures, or do we build a bunch of new nuclear reactors?ww

"Wind energy is the most readily deployable renewable energy at hand, and if we want to get to grips with climate change then we have to build a good number of new wind farms, sensitively but quickly.

"Many, many people think that wind farms are beautiful and elegant structures.

"And as one of the windiest areas of Europe's windiest country, we're hardly short of the raw power here in England."

Ward councillor Colin Rigby said those people opposed to this development weren't opposed to wind power in general.

He said: "I am not bothered about wind turbines in general but the problems arise on this occasion with the siting and location at the head of the valley. They will be on land that is 1,200 feet high and the turbines will be 312 feet to the top of the blade so they are going to be seen for five to eight miles around.

"The proximity to people's homes, just 400 metres away, is also worrying. There is also the question of how they will get access to the site down the narrow country lanes."

There have also been concerns the turbines would be a danger to aircraft.