Oldham generates hundreds of megawatt-hours of electricity every year via onshore wind turbines, but the Government wants to cut down on land-based wind farms.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has plans to cut down on onshore wind farms across the UK to ensure the UK’s energy security, according to the Government’s energy strategy.

The strategy focuses on boosting new nuclear power and offshore wind and hydrogen but stops short of increasing onshore wind capacity.

The news comes as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy revealed Oldham produced 406 megawatt-hours of electricity through its 10 onshore wind turbines throughout 2020.

This was up from 327 MWh in 2019 and a steady increase from 2014 when records began.

But of six recorded renewable energy sources in Oldham, onshore wind ranked fifth in the area while landfill gas came first as the most renewable source of energy.

National figures from the 12 months to 2021 show the UK has 14.5 GW of onshore wind capacity, but still generated less than the year before – from 34.7 GWh down to 29 GWh.

The country also had 11.3 gigawatts of offshore wind power capacity by the end of last year, up from 10.4 in 2019 and more than six times as much as 10 years ago.

Still, offshore wind must more than quadruple by 2030 if the Government is to reach its target.

Mr Johnson said onshore wind farms are controversial because of their visual impact and recognises that they “will have a very high bar to clear”.

There is now a target of 50 gigawatts to be reached by 2030 - up from 40 gigawatts.

The reduction of turbine targets on land has been criticised by the Labour party.

The opposition had called for relaxed planning regulations for onshore wind turbines.

Ed Miliband, shadow climate change and net zero secretary, told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Britain’s “energy policy is being held to ransom by Tory backbenchers".

Mr Miliband added: “The Government has rejected the cheapest, lowest cost, most secure forms of power we have, including onshore wind."

The Government has said “wholesale changes” to planning regulations for onshore wind will not be introduced, but it will instead consult with communities who wish to host the infrastructure to lower energy bills.