A WIND farm in Barnsley powered thousands of homes across the borough last year.

The three-turbine scheme at Hazlehead yielded 15,000 MWh of green electricity - enough to power about 5,000 homes - and has been in operation since 2011.

Richard Dunkley, chief executive at OnPath Energy - the firm responsible for the site, said: “Our wind farm has been operating successfully and efficiently for many years and is continuing to generate considerable amounts of renewable electricity for use in our homes, school, hospitals and businesses.

“Alongside this, it also makes a significant contribution to enhancing the facilities and support available to people and organisations in their respective communities, and we’re very much committed to maintaining this contribution over the long-term.

“Our success to date has been achieved through creating and maintaining valued, long-term relationships with all our stakeholders and conducting ourselves with professionalism and integrity in all that we do, and this approach will remain at the core of the OnPath team’s way of working.”

Energy firm Banks Renewables - which was renamed to OnPath - was originally given permission to run the wind farm for 25 years, however approval was recently given to extend that to 40 years.

It also generates over £8,000 every year for the Hazlehead Wind Farm Benefits Fund, which supports community and environmental projects put forward by local voluntary groups and charities.

Previous local grant recipients have included Dunford Parish Community Association, St Anne’s Church in Carlecotes and Penistone Community Radio.

Coun Hannah Kitching, who represents the Penistone West ward, added: “They’re an established part of the community now and have benefited the area so much over a decade or so.

“Their grants scheme has been brilliant for so many groups and they’ve always been very good communicators with both the community and elected members.”