David Ross
Highland Correspondent
PLANS for 23 giant wind turbines in the hills above Loch Ness have been
rejected by the Scottish Government because of the impact on the celebrated
landscape.
Druim Ba Sustainable Energy wanted to build the turbines, which at 490ft
would have been among the highest in Scotland, in the hills to the west of
the loch. They would be set in Blairmore Forest between the Inverness-shire
communities of Kiltarlity and Drumnadrochit.
The company said the project could provide enough electricity to meet the
needs of 38,000 homes and over the 25-year life of the wind farm it would
create up to “975 full-time equivalent job years”. It said £7 million would
go to local communities in the same period.
However, the proposals for the Druim Ba wind farm were opposed by local
people and the three community councils around the site objected, as did
the Highland Council, triggering a public inquiry.
Among other outspoken critics were Donald Trump, former England football
captain and manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle Terry Butcher, and the
organiser of the Belladrum music festival Joe Gibbs.
Now Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has ruled against it in a decision which
local residents claim save 20 families from having to move house. He agreed
with the findings of the Public Inquiry Reporter the number and height of
the turbines were out of scale with the surrounding landscape and it would
have significant adverse visual impacts.
Mr Ewing was also concerned the likely noise from the proposal would be
detrimental to several nearby properties.
He said: “Scotland has enormous potential for renewable energy that is
delivering jobs and investment across Scotland, and I am determined to
ensure communities all over Scotland reap the benefit from renewable energy
– but not at any cost and we will ensure a balanced approach in taking
forward this policy, as we have in the past and will in future.
“The Scottish Government wants to see the right developments in the right
places and Scottish planning policy is clear the design and location of any
wind farm should reflect the scale and character of the landscape and
should be considered environmentally acceptable.”
Druim Ba Sustainable Energy Ltd is a subsidiary of EFR (Scotland) Ltd, a
European Forest Resources Group company, which is part of the Louis Dreyfus
Group, a privately-owned company, founded in France in 1851.
The Herald approached EFR for a comment, but the company did not respond.
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