The board has yet to decide whether or not to grant permission and the case is over its decision to categorise it as a strategic infrastructural development. The challenge is by Paddy Massey, chairman of a local residents group that opposes the proposed development involving a total of 17 turbines on the two sites.

Legal Ireland

Furious residents in East Kerry say they are prepared to fight until the bitter end to oppose plans for a windfarm close to their homes after it emerged that plans are underway for another windfarm in the county. Land-owners in the region have been approached for land to develop a potential windfarm and The Kerryman understands that a number of contracts have already been signed setting plans in motion. However, no planning permission has yet been sought.

General Ireland

In a joint letter to the Prime Minister of Greece and the Ministry of Environment and Energy, 12 environmental NGOs and Scientific Societies call for the cancellation of wind farm development plans on 14 protected islets in the South Aegean.

Impact on Wildlife Impact on Birds Impact on Landscape Europe

“Wind turbines have been very disruptive to the landscape where they've been allowed. They do not in any way match the character of the British landscape,” said Mark Sullivan, the Chairman of CPRE West Midlands, who has written to 25 MPs with local constituencies. He added that solar farms are an “insidious” presence. ...Mr Sullivan argues that the national CPRE does not reflect its membership’s view on the subject, and says if wind and solar farms return to the countryside “the long and costly fights against them will resume.”

General UK

No one is opposed to the principle of Kythera being energy autonomous. The issue is whether to turn a pristine island into an industrial wind farm. The current proposals would permit at least 100 skyscraper- sized wind-generators to be built, which would be visible from every corner of the island. Four production licenses have already been granted for 60 wind turbines (which would produce a total of 150 MW of power), and another 60 towers are in the pipeline.

Impact on Wildlife Impact on Landscape Europe

Councillor David Moore, admitted he was personally a “not a great lover” of wind energy and also warned the turbines would make those off the coast of Walney look like “babies”. He added: “I look forward to us developing that position statement and I think it’s one that will create a lot of interest and debate in Copeland.

General UK

An online petition has been launched to help save an area of outstanding natural beauty near Granada in Spain’s Andalucia. This time however it is not a hotel or a golf course, but 110 kilometres of high voltage power lines, wind turbines and a large solar energy plant.

Impact on Wildlife Europe

“Already, on windy days or days when the country’s demand is low, the electricity grid cannot cope with production from the wind farms already operating in Caithness and Sutherland. “This has led to eye-watering sums being paid to wind farm operators to turn off turbines – money that ultimately comes from all electricity customers.”

General UK

“Discussions regarding community benefit are held separately to any planning discussions taking place,” the document adds. Highland Council says its position is clearly stated on its website, with the entry reading: “Scottish Government planning guidance prevents this type of payment from becoming a condition of planning permission.”

Technology UK

A worker is in "serious but stable condition" after suffering burns and falling from height at the Tom nan Clach wind farm in the Highlands.

Safety Injury UK

But environmental concerns remain over Ørsted’s 231-turbine 2400MW Hornsea Project Three ...Sharma wrote that he was “not able to grant consent to the development at this time”, as the project presented an unacceptably high risk of collisions with the protected kittiwake bird in the EU-protected Flamborough and Filey coast special protection area.

General UK

A bid to build a huge offshore wind farm has been held up because of the impact it would have on an endangered bird and a mid-Norfolk village. Alok Sharma, secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy, announced on Wednesday that he was “minded to approve” Hornsea Three wind farm, but the energy company behind it needed to give him more information before the end of September.

Impact on Birds UK

A bid had been lodged to add an extra 12 turbines to the 48 already operational on the site. However, the Scottish government has now rejected those as they would "magnify, intensify and extend" the impact of the current wind farm. The application to build the first phase was lodged in 2005, prompting a lengthy campaign against the project.

General UK

“The lull in wind energy continues. Not even half of the volume on offer could even be successful,” said Julia Verlinden, energy policy spokeswoman at the opposition Green Party in parliament. Most German onshore wind auctions this year and last have been heavily undersubscribed amid an ongoing permitting malaise.

General Germany

“I understand that people may be enticed by financial opportunities,” she said. “That is a matter for themselves. I thought at first that this was something we were going to have to live with, but when I look out my window and see the beautiful view, I’m not so sure. I don’t want to be a NIMBY, but I don’t want people to be caught unawares. People need to be informed about what’s happening.”

General Ireland

A government proposal on Friday to slow down the development of onshore wind power comes after increasing local resistance mirrors sentiment in other European countries. Norway already decided to scrap a plan for a new permission framework last year.

Impact on People Zoning/Planning Europe

Giles Dickson, chief executive officer of the industry group WindEurope, says it’s important for developers to reach out early to people who live near the proposed wind farm before a design is finalized. Wind farms usually pay out a portion of their revenue to local communities. They also bring jobs, sometimes to remote places that struggle to attract employers, Dickson notes. WindEurope is calling for permitting systems to be streamlined.

General Europe Germany

Giles Dickson, chief executive officer of the industry group WindEurope, says it’s important for developers to reach out early to people who live near the proposed wind farm before a design is finalized. Wind farms usually pay out a portion of their revenue to local communities. They also bring jobs, sometimes to remote places that struggle to attract employers, Dickson notes. WindEurope is calling for permitting systems to be streamlined.

General Germany Europe

The government also said it would better take into account turbines’ impact on the landscape and reindeer husbandry, and give more say to municipalities in approving new projects. “In the future, we will facilitate a limited and more moderate wind power development than we currently see,” Minister of Petroleum and Energy Tina Bru told a news conference.

Zoning/Planning Europe

In this region, numerous wind farms have been installed in recent years because of good wind conditions, but there has been little implementation of the legally required measures for the protection of bats. A Romanian research team cooperated with the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) in Berlin to demonstrate that this leads to high death rates of migrating bats and potentially large declines even in populations living far away in other countries. 

Impact on Bats Europe