The Highland Line
David Ross
Congratulations are in order for the movers and shakers on the North Harris
Trust who announced this week that they had finally reached an agreement to
build a three turbine wind farm at Monan about five miles north of the
island’s capital Tarbert.
As the estimable trust chair Calum MacKay, declared: “We set out in 2003 to
develop the Monan site. Directors have worked doggedly to find a way
through the many set-backs thrown their way. After over ten years, it looks
as though this year we will see turbines on the site. This project will
bring much-needed new income to the Trust and the local community.”
The income for the community should be more than £1m over the 20 year life
of the turbines, certainly not to be sneezed at on an island that has
suffered decades of chronic depopulation.
The community-led trust had been desperate for years to find a secure and
long term source of income to help finance other project that would help
Harris keep more of her people and attract others to settle.
So there was local outrage when Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) decided to
object when the proposal began its journey through planning. This was a
set-back and a half. SNH was worried it would impact on the mountainous
character of the South Lewis, Harris and North Uist National Scenic Area,
(NSA), and on visual amenity.
Even some of SNH’s natural allies had thought they had gone too far on this
one. Many saw that the NSA could stand three turbines, better than Harris
could tolerate the loss of any more people. The island’s population has
been falling steadily since 1921. Between 1951 and 2001 there was a loss of
50%. It started to stabilise but between 2001 and 2011 it still fell by 3%.
There were more than a few in the Scottish Government who had the same
concerns and appeared to call SNH’s bluff. In July 2007 a couple of months
after forming a minority administration in Edinburgh, SNP ministers
announced there would be a full public inquiry because of SNH’s objection
-very costly, very time consuming.
The agency, never the most popular body in the islands, was the target for
even more Hebridean anger. But by early September of that year it had
changed its mind: “We stand by our advice. This development will have an
impact on the national scenic area and visual amenity. With SNH as the only
objector however, this is something of a special case and we are doubtful
of the value of a full Public Inquiry. We have therefore retained our
advice but withdrawn the objection.”
Result!! However other hurdles appeared but one by one the trust overcame
them and this week the news came through that Windflow UK Limited and the
North Harris Trust had reached agreement to construct the three turbines on
an elevated ridge at Monan.
Windflow UK Limited sells, builds, owns and operates wind projects, and is
wholly owned by Windflow Technology Limited, the New Zealand based
manufacturer of mid-size wind turbines. The turbines for Harris will be
manufactured in New Zealand.
A joint venture company called Monan Wind Company Limited has been set up
to build and operate the project. North Harris Trust owns 10% of this joint
venture through its trading company and will receive a rent on behalf of
the community for the life of the project.
It will be within a mile of the Clisham, the highest mountain in the Outer
Hebrides at 2,621 ft. But despite that it is being backed by the likes of
the wild land charity the John Muir Trust (JMT) who have something of a
reputation for fighting wind farms proposed for inappropriate places. And
none more so than Helen McDade JMT’s head of policy.
But she said: “The John Muir Trust congratulates the North Harris Trust in
getting this scheme back on track. This is the kind of community-scale,
well-designed and sensitively sited renewables project that we believe
should be encouraged as an alternative to the unsightly and ecologically
damaging industrial-scale wind developments driven by energy corporations
across much of the Highlands.”
Even the Mountaineering Council of Scotland appears relaxed about the
development.
Rarely has there been such support for turbines in the Highlands and Islands.
Meanwhile over in Moray councillors have also been debating matters green
and now a major new cycle route could be created on the back of Elgin’s
£86million flood alleviation scheme.
Moray councillors have agreed to apply to Sustrans – the national agency
which promotes sustainable travel – to meet half the cost of the
£1.3million initiative.
It is proposed that the cycleway would follow the River Lossie corridor
from west to east through Elgin and using some of the features – such as
raised embankments – being built as part of the flood scheme.
As well as creating an easy route to Elgin’s business parks and train and
bus stations, it would also provide a link to visitor attractions and
everyday destinations such as Elgin library, the Cooper Park, Moray Leisure
Centre, Johnstons of Elgin, Boroughbriggs and Elgin Cathedral.
A report to the council said: “It offers potential for cycling and walking
facilities remote from the A96 by linking key destinations and other
cycling and walking facilities.”
The route which had been identified would be within a five-minute walk for
95% of people living in Elgin.
So stopping damaging flooding could help the good people of Elgin get fit
and reduce the town’s carbon foot print at the same time – bit of a
no-brainer really.
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