We've run Wrea Green Equitation Centre for 43 years and fear these wind farm plans could mean the end for us

The owners of the busy Wrea Green Equitation Centre, which opened in 1981, were horrified to receive a letter from the company behind the wind farm plans for the Irish Sea, informing them that test drilling with regard to survey work for cable corridors integral to the project was to occur on land adjacent to the Centre, on Bryning Lane between Wrea Green and Warton, from the end of April.

By this week, there was still no sign of work starting, but Centre founder Christine Pollitt and her staff have been apprehensive ever since that it now happen anytime – and fear it will bring the closure of the business because of the disruption and distress the resulting noise and vibrations would cause the horses.

Planning permission for the windfarms and cable corridors to an existing electricity substation in Penwortham is still awaited and expected to be at central Government level, but it is understood that, even in those circumstances, land can be accessed for survey work under a section of the Housing and Planning Act.

Section 172 states: “a person authorised in writing by an acquiring authority may enter and survey or value land in connection with a proposal to acquire an interest in or a right over that land”.

Chris said: “We’re really afraid it could be the end. Horses feel vibrations and noise much more than we do and on hearing a new noise, it bucks and runs.

"The others will follow because it's a herding instinct and in a school where we may have five riders going around, that’s a scary prospect.

"Customers will probably, voluntarily, drop like flies because of the risk factor.

"The letter came out of the blue and we’ve been wondering ever since when they are going to come. It’s a horrible situation.”

The Centre, recently visited by the Princess Royal to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Pony Club’s Centre Membership programme, accommodates some 300 riders a week, offering sessions for the general public, disabled people from aged three years old and facilities for colleges and schools.

Shaan Wallace, an academic tutor and mentor at Armfield Academy, Blackpool, regularly has special need pupils attend Horse Power sessions at the Equitation Centre and says it will be much missed if not available.

"My students rely heavily on Horse Power to support their educational needs and with their mental health and overall well-being,” said Shaan. “Horse Power isn’t just about working with and riding horses, it’s about the environment, community and most importantly education. It’s a little piece of hoof heaven.”

Jessica Hilton, a mum from Penwortham who brings her visually-impaired 11-year-old daughter Sophie to the Centre regularly, said: “It has been a huge part of her life for six years.

“Children and young people with a vision impairment are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety and the Centre is a lifeline for Sophie. If it is closed it would be absolutely devastating.”

The Centre rents the land and has the full support of the farming family who own it as they and others in the area do all they can to battle the disruption they fear the cable corridors will bring to the countryside.

Coun Tommy Threlfall, Fylde Council’s lead member for the environment, is backing them, along with Fylde MP Mark Menzies. and Coun Thelfall said: “it’s not a case of being against wind farms, it’s just the cable corridors and their effect on the land.”

A spokesman for the Morgan Offshore Wind Project and the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm said its intention is to make an important contribution to the UK's target of generating 50GW of power from offshore wind by 2030 as the two windfarms in the Irish Sea will have the potential to generate almost 2GW of electricity - enough to power the equivalent of around two million homes.“Since 2022, our project teams have held three rounds of consultation and we recognise public consultation is a vital process, which gives the local community an opportunity to review our proposals, ask us questions and provide their feedback,” said the spokesman.

"All feedback received has been considered to date and helped inform our design process.“Our team are preparing to undertake ground investigation surveys alongside ongoing environmental surveys to help gather important data at various locations along the proposed onshore route. The results of these surveys will be used to further develop our proposals. We have written to those in the vicinity of survey activity to reassure them that these surveys do not constitute the start of any construction work.

“We understand there are local concerns, and these will be addressed in due course.  We intend to provide a further update on our plans over the coming months, before we submit our application, later in the year.”

A Lancashire County Council spokesman said: "A consultation relating to a forthcoming application by a private company to develop a new offshore windfarm across the Fylde Coast was carried out towards the end of 2023.

"During the consultation, we raised concerns about the impacts on ecology, particularly near the internationally protected areas of the Ribble estuary and the impact on the local highway network and other concerns.

“Our planning and transport officers highlighted the proposal has the potential to cause significant disruption to residents during construction and any roadworks are likely to have significant knock-on effects to the wider network resulting in congestion. They also advised information in the Lancashire Environmental Records Network should be taken into account, such as irreplaceable habitats, habitats of principal importance and protected and priority species that may be affected.

"As the proposal is classed as a 'nationally significant infrastructure project,' the application will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate, who will review the application and make recommendations to the Secretary of State, who has the powers to grant or refuse development consent.

“However, the Planning Inspectorate's review process does include a process of public examination."