Scout Moor: Plans to expand windfarm with 17 more turbines
The 26 turbines already in place were erected in 2008 as part of the original Scout Moor Wind Farm.The scheme is the first of its kind since planning rules were changed under Labour to support new projects, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.The previous Conservative government brought in new planning rules that effectively ruled out new onshore wind farm developments back in 2015, which has since been eased.
Cubico said the plans marked a significant step in helping the country meet its climate goals, reducing reliance on imported energy, and unlocking the full potential of homegrown renewables.Campaigners from the Say NO to Scout Moor 2 group have said the new turbines would be higher than Blackpool Tower, dominating the valley and providing little benefit to the environment.They said they also feared the high level of concrete used to keep the turbines standing would cause irreversible damage to the peatlands in the area.In response to the group's concerns, Cubico said it proposed the delivery of a major moorland restoration scheme. It said this would focus on improving and protecting the unique peatland across the site, rewetting the moor, restoring native vegetation, and improving habitats for local wildlife.Peter Rowe, development manager at Cubico said the firm had listened to what people had said during a consultation and their input had "shaped a stronger scheme that we believe delivers for local communities and supports national energy goals".Rochdale and Rossendale councils will now consider the plans for approval.
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The Sun
7 minutes ago
- The Sun
National Lottery to shut down TONIGHT with just hours left for players to buy tickets or claim prizes
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The Guardian
37 minutes ago
- The Guardian
UK student bank accounts: the best perks, from railcards to cheap meals
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In my case I found that after the first semester, the likelihood of eating out quickly diminishes. Student finance only stretches so far! Other accounts offered cashback at certain retailers, which, considering my limited record of high street spending, would have been wasted on me. Talking of the high street, the fact that there's a Santander branch in my university town was also a factor. My family is still wedded to the chequebook, so a place to deposit cheques, even in 2025, is greatly appreciated. Alfie Howlett is studying a three-year BA journalism degree at the University of Gloucestershire
Daily Mail
37 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
How one entrepreneur turned a derelict basement into a stunning store using pre-loved materials and DIY YouTube videos
The household Kate Blower, creative director and founder of café and lifestyle store Resinn, her partner and head coffee-roaster Erik Ohrstrom, and their two children. The project When Ohrstrom was made redundant while Blower was heavily pregnant during lockdown, her first reaction was to panic about paying the mortgage. Then she realised the solution to their financial predicament could lie in the basement of their four-storey townhouse in Sunderland. The space, now pop-up coffee shop and lifestyle store Resinn, was originally uninhabitable and plagued by damp. There were no electrics or plumbing, and the layout was a maze of corridors formed by stud walls – remnants from when the property had been used as student accommodation. The renovation took six months. The cost ★ Labour (rewiring the basement, adding smoke alarms and outdoor lighting): £2,000 ★ Gas-supply connection, including a full boiler service: £400 ★ Wall excavation: £800 ★ Building materials: £1,000 ★ Furniture and coffee-station equipment: £1,700 TOTAL: £5,900 The first steps 'You don't need a pot of money to start a business; you just need an idea,' says Blower, in reference to the early days of Resinn. 'Erik is a trained barista, so he could make pour-over coffee using our kitchen kettle, and my sister is a baker who could contribute homemade cakes.' Blower had honed her design skills earlier through running an Airbnb business and from working at Urban Outfitters and H&M in Sweden for 15 years, before moving to Sunderland. 'We combined forces to get the business off the ground,' she says. Blower sourced a selection of marble bistro tables for £50 each from Facebook Marketplace and paired them with a few plain black tables from Ikea. Seating includes secondhand chapel chairs she bought from an Instagram seller in Manchester, sent via an online business that connects you with delivery companies that bid to transport goods.'I managed to get 21 chairs sent to me for £70,' she says. Shelves were stocked with affordable decorative items that complemented the coffee offering, such as mugs, small plates and breakfast bowls, which Blower found in charity shops. Then she invited the local community to come and experience the space. 'I thought it would last a few months, but people kept coming,' she says. 'I think a key selling point was that customers got to walk through part of our house to reach the basement. They loved seeing through the keyhole!' In fact, it's been such a success that Blower is launching Resinn's first standalone store and café on separate premises, due to open in Sunderland in October. The existing features Prior to the renovation, Blower had no idea that there was a bare-brick fireplace and chimney in the basement. 'It was boarded up with cement, breeze blocks and horrible woodchip wallpaper,' she says. She stripped the wallpaper and chipped away the cement to reveal the fireplace and make it a focal point. The basement's lime-plaster walls were left to shine, with Blower touching up any areas once damaged by damp with a coat of black paint. 'I left any original markings and shapes from earlier renovations on display,' she says. 'They tell the story of the space while creating a natural mural.' Blower repainted the floor, which had been hidden beneath carpet and covered with glue, using an eco-friendly sealant from 'It contains natural silicone, which prevents the floor from cracking,' she says. The original windows and high ceilings remain intact. The DIY hacks Most of the renovation budget was swallowed up by paying for the installation of electrics and plumbing, along with the removal of the stud walls from the property's student-accommodation days. 'We couldn't afford to hire tradesmen for everything, so we taught ourselves how to build items through research and YouTube tutorials,' says Blower, whose own DIY tutorials have since amassed a loyal following on Instagram. The new timber staircase, which leads down from the hallway to the basement, is a case in point. It was designed and sketched by Blower and built by herself and Ohrstrom. 'It's the bare bones of a staircase,' she says. 'There are no fancy bits or trimmings.' She coated it with Osmo Oil, which helps enhance the natural character of the wood while making it resistant to stains and scuffs. Minimalist twin-slot shelving, a wall-mounted system consisting of uprights with two vertical slots and brackets that slide into the slots, feature throughout. Blower fitted these with birch plywood shelves from B&Q ( that she stained black. 'It's so much cheaper than buying new shelves, and this way you can achieve the exact look you're after,' she says. The 'yarden' space As Resinn grew in popularity, Blower extended the space into the courtyard. 'It was originally a concrete slab, with one mud patch and an old waste pipe sticking out of the ground where there used to be an outhouse,' she says. Blower couldn't afford to dig it all up and re-landscape, so she poured gravel over the concrete and converted the mud patch into the main flowerbed. Blower built her own planters with reclaimed timber from a local reclamation yard, and filled them with evergreen plants for low maintenance. Plant pots from Home Bargains were grouped together for a container-garden effect and to create depth. 'It also means I can move them around whenever I fancy a change,' she says. Finally, Blower mounted ladders on walls to support climbing plants, and built a dining table using recycled fencing. 'Making a table may sound scary, but it's just a frame with a top and four legs,' she says. 'YouTube is a wealth of information. Just start small.'
