
Overview
After a wait of more than ten years, Natural England notified the West Pennine Moors as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Lancashire's West Pennine Moors between Blackburn and Bolton have no statutory protection or recognition for their wildlife importance.
Yet its blanket bogs are superior in quality to internationally protected sites, and its breeding birds comfortably qualify it as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Natural England was informed of its importance back in 2007 along with the necessary evidence of bird and botanical surveys. In 2011 Natural England made some faltering progress towards protecting the site but the lack of commitment resulted in some high-quality, deep-peat blanket bog being damaged by twelve wind turbines in 2012.
A further four turbines were approved in 2016 despite objections from RSPB. More worryingly, a new wind farm proposal has emerged on a wonderful deep peat area that has breeding merlin, dunlin and golden plover.
Natural England has assured us that plans for a SSSI designation are imminent but proposed SSSIs have no protection so the site remains vulnerable.
Update November 2016
After a wait of more than ten years, Natural England notified the West Pennine Moors as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.