Scottish government rejects two major onshore wind farms
Business Green|Jocelyn Timperley |Nov 18, 2015
Announcing the refusals, Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing acknowledged efforts had been made by the developers to mitigate landscape and visual impacts but said he had concluded the impacts from the wind farms would still be unacceptable.
Announcing the refusals, Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing acknowledged efforts had been made by the developers to mitigate landscape and visual impacts but said he had concluded the impacts from the wind farms would still be unacceptable.
Ministers said the developments would have an 'unacceptable' impact on nearby "wild land" areas
The Scottish government has rejected proposals for two major wind farms planned for Sutherland.
German wind farm operator Windkraft Nord had submitted plans to build a 22-turbine farm with the potential to generate up to 66MW at Sallachy and Duchally estates, while SSE was planning a 23-turbine wind farm in Glencassley Estate, which would have delivered up to 78MW of capacity.
But ministers said any wider benefits would not outweigh the impact the Highland wind farms would have on nearby wild land and scenic areas.
Announcing the refusals, Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing acknowledged efforts had been made by the developers to …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]Ministers said the developments would have an 'unacceptable' impact on nearby "wild land" areas
The Scottish government has rejected proposals for two major wind farms planned for Sutherland.
German wind farm operator Windkraft Nord had submitted plans to build a 22-turbine farm with the potential to generate up to 66MW at Sallachy and Duchally estates, while SSE was planning a 23-turbine wind farm in Glencassley Estate, which would have delivered up to 78MW of capacity.
But ministers said any wider benefits would not outweigh the impact the Highland wind farms would have on nearby wild land and scenic areas.
Announcing the refusals, Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing acknowledged efforts had been made by the developers to mitigate landscape and visual impacts but said he had concluded the impacts from the wind farms would still be unacceptable.
"The Scottish government's policy on wind farms strikes a careful balance between maximising Scotland’s huge green energy potential and protecting some of our most scenic landscape and wild land area," he said.
"We have been clear that wind farms can only be built in the right places and Scottish planning policy sets out rigorous steps to ensure wind farms are sited appropriately and sensitively."
A spokeswomen for SSE said the company was disappointed with the government’s decision, and that it will examine the decision and consider all options for the project before commenting further.
The government has yet to respond to a proposal by Muirhall Energy to build a 68MW wind farm in nearby Caplich.
Stuart Brooks, chief executive of conservation charity John Muir Trust, has said a rejection of the proposals would send a clear message to developers that the government wanted to protect sensitive areas from development. "That in turn will reduce future speculative applications, which are expensive and time-consuming for everyone involved," he said in a statement earlier this year.
SSE announced last week that it had recorded a £548.8m profit for the first half of 2015 - a figure 48 per cent higher than the same period last year. The rise came in large part due to a wet and windy summer in Scotland helping to boost the company's renewable energy output.