A parish council has agreed to investigate applying for funding from an energy company’s community fund.

Oxenhope Parish Council authorised one of its members – Councillor Tony Jones – to approach E.ON.

The firm’s development partner, Yorkshire Wind Power, recently won permission to construct nine 115-metre-high wind turbines on Ovenden Moor.

These will replace the 23 existing 49 metre-high turbines, and will be clearly visible from Oxenhope parish.

Councillors were told the amount of cash on offer from E.ON was not yet known. They were initially asked to decide on a proposal that the funds, if made available, could go towards developing public toilets in the village.

But Coun Derrick Hopkinson said he was not convinced Oxenhope would welcome such a facility.

“We’d be committing the parish council to quite high revenue costs,” he said. “Would we be willing to maintain the toilets?”

Coun David Ashcroft pointed out it was only necessary to express an interest in any money available from E.ON, and the decision on what to spend it on could be made later.