A community leader has accused renewables companies of treating East
Lothian residents as “second-class citizens” after they unveiled plans to
add about 40 more wind turbines to the Lammermuir Hills.
But East Lothian Council’s environment spokesman believes the plans could
be scuppered by new council guidance on large-scale wind farms.
A proposed project to install up to 30 new turbines at the existing
Aikengall site, near Oldhamstocks – labelled as ‘Aikengall IIa’ – has been
lodged with the Scottish Government by Community Windpower Ltd.
The company, which held public exhibitions on the proposal last month, says
the new application is an extension of the existing Aikengall I and II
Community Wind Farms.
Meanwhile, Fred Olsen Renewables Ltd is bidding to build 11 100/125-metre
turbines on the East Lammermuir Plateau, near its existing Crystal Rig I
and II wind farms, dubbed ‘Crystal Rig III’.
It comes just four months after Community Windpower Ltd was granted
planning permission for Aikengall II – a development of 19 145-metre
turbines to the south of 16 that already operate at Aikengall I.
Crystal Rig already has 40 turbines operating in East Lothian and more in
the Scottish Borders.
But new draft guidance being proposed by East Lothian Council, called
‘Guidance On Windfarms Over 12 MW’, which would see any new wind farm plans
for the county come under increased scrutiny, is expected to go before a
full council vote in September.
If the new guidance – a requirement of the Scottish Government – is
approved, applications for new large clusters of turbines in East Lothian
would be unlikely to be accepted, though single turbines or small groups of
turbines under 12MW in capacity would still be considered.
Chris Bruce, chair of East Lammermuir Community Council, said in March he
feared that Oldhamstocks could become “completely ringed” by wind turbines
after the Scottish Government had approved Aikengall II.
This week, he told the Courier: “My initial reaction to the new plans for
Aikengall IIa was one of dismay. We had a hard-fought battle with the
company over Aikengall II and for this to come hard on the heels of that is
upsetting.
“We feel Community Windpower are scaremongering with this new project for
up to 30 new turbines in our area, as they might just settle for around 20
when it comes to the crunch. It’s a tactic used in politics a lot these days.
“Our views had been taken into account following the public consultations
and exhibitions throughout the community last month, but ultimately we have
been left disappointed.
“To their credit, [Community Windpower] did hand-deliver information
leaflets to everyone in the area and sent two representatives to talk to
us, but they were not men from the top and couldn’t really allay our fears.
“This decision has left us feeling like second-class citizens and we are
not really being valued.”
Councillor Michael Veitch, whose Dunbar and East Linton ward includes East
Lammermuir, said: “With the dust having only just settled on the recent
decision to grant permission for 19 more turbines in this area – the
Aikengall II/Wester Dod scheme – I’m sure that many of my constituents in
and around Oldhamstocks will be utterly dismayed that up to 30 more
turbines are now being considered.
“Furthermore, for the developer to refer to this proposal as ‘Aikengall
IIa’ is arguably extremely misleading, in that it implies it is the first
stage of the already authorised Aikengall II scheme, when in fact these are
additional turbines.
“The Eastern Lammermuirs are paying an ever higher price for the Scottish
Government’s ill-conceived renewables policy.”
But Councillor Stuart Currie, SNP Group leader, says “all parties will have
their say” before any final decision is made.
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