Leeds artists put imprint on wind farm

Renewable energy firm Banks Renewables gave pupils at Micklefield and Aberford C of E Primary Schools the chance to suggest names for each of the five turbines at the £14m Hook Moor wind farm, near Micklefield and the junction of the M1 and A1. They were also asked to design pieces of art to be transferred on to the turbines’ bases.

The panel of judges, made up of city councillors and members of the Hook Moor project team, revealed at the launch on July 14 that the turbines will be called Micky Blades, Turbo, Night-turn, Sky-shimmer and Eco. The winning designs, which each have the name of its creator alongside, were also unveiled. They feature designs from Bella Leonard, Isobel Smith, Mia Kelly, Ryan Chalk and William Nicholls.

Main project contractor Hall Construction has donated a new iPad to each of the participating schools as a thank you for the pupils’ hard work.

The schoolchildren were also taken on a tour of the Hook Moor site during the event, to find out more about how the wind farm was built, how electricity is generated by the turbines and how it is transported away to the National Grid and around the country.

More than 150 people from across the local area were in attendance to see Leeds City Council leader Coun Judith Blake unveil a plaque to mark the official opening for the Hook Moor scheme, which began to generate clean green energy at the end of 2015.

Lewis Stokes, community relations manager at the Banks Group, said: “The reaction of the winners when they saw their work actually on the turbines was priceless, and I’m sure they’ll enjoy showing it off to their family and friends in the future.”