By Richard Watt
Plans for new wind turbines in Angus have been backed by a Scottish
Government reporter after a successful appeal.
The decision angered anti-windfarm campaigners, who described it as “perverse”.
Richard Dent of the directorate for planning and environmental appeals
upheld the Polar Energy (Finlarg) appeal for Lumley Den, north of Tealing.
Mr Dent visited Angus to review the firm’s Frawney proposals after the
council was unable to determine the application for a five-turbine site at
Over Finlarg Farm.
He declined a claim for expenses made by the firm as it was likely the
council would have refused planning permission.
The reporter conceded the turbines would be close to six that were the
subject of a successful appeal recently.
He said: “I am aware that a windfarm development comprising six turbines
(no greater than 87 metres to the blade tip) has recently been approved on
appeal at Govals Farm to the north-west of the Over Finlarg Farm site.
“If constructed, the two developments would have a cumulative impact on
landscape character.
“Because of topography and the additional height of the turbines, I believe
the Govals Farm development would be more dominant in the landscape.
“Nevertheless, even when read together, I think the two windfarms could be
accommodated within the landscape and would not create a cumulatively
unacceptable impact.”
Angus Communities Windfarm Action Group criticised the Scottish Government
for sending a reporter on a “day trip” to Angus before allowing decisions
that could affect the county for 25 years.
Spokesman Ray Gibson said: “This is a second perverse decision, which makes
a mockery of the planning system in Scotland.
“The landscape will now be blighted and residential amenity destroyed for
the next quarter of a century by 11 huge turbines.
“Angus Council has spent years drawing up and updating the local plan, and
planning officers spent months scrutinising the Frawney (five turbines) and
Govals (six turbines) applications… also, the recently published
independent ‘bible’ to be used to determine windfarm applications in Angus
said that if both Frawney and Govals were approved they would exceed
recommended height, numbers and separation distance.”
Last month the council published the 197-page Strategic Landscape Capacity
Assessment for Wind Energy in Angus.
The report was drawn up by consultants Ironside Farrar to assist the
decision-making process over wind energy development proposals and planning
applications.
Mr Gibson added: “It is appalling that Scottish Government reporters can
make a day visit to Angus and overturn decisions made by local councillors
and planning officers. We appear to be living in a dictatorship run from
Holyrood paying no regard to local democracy.”
In upholding the appeal, Mr Dent weighed up material considerations such as
the Scottish Government energy policy, which requires the equivalent of
100% of Scottish power to be provided by renewable energy sources by 2020.
In rejecting the firm’s request for expenses due to an overlong period of
non-determination by Angus Council, Mr Dent believes its actions were not
unreasonable.
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