David Ross
Highland Correspondent
ANTI-WIND farm campaigners are calling on councillors to demand a site
visit so they can see the potential impact of a proposed development of 47
turbines on the Highlands.
They warn of the cumulative effect of wind farms that have already been
approved or are in the pipeline.
Highland Council’s planning officials are recommending approval for SSE’s
Strathy South farm in Sutherland when the north area planning committee
meets today, but on condition it is scaled down to eight turbines.
The local community council backs the proposal although Scottish Natural
Heritage and the RSPB have warned the farm would have a detrimental impact
on birdlife.
Local campaigners Stuart Young and Lyndsey Ward are calling on the
committee members to demand a site visit “to see the enormity of this
proposal and judge for yourselves the damage already done to the tourist
experience of the magnificent north coast route”.
They claim that members were denied a site visit to see the impact the
33-turbine Strathy North Windfarm would have on the A836 tourist route
above Strathnaver, saying if such a visit had occurred, it was possible
that Strathy North would not have been allowed, but now it is under
construction.
Two other turbines have already been constructed at Bettyhill. In addition
the 28-turbine Strathy Wood wind farm would also soon be up for consideration.
Meanwhile leaders of the Save the Monadhliath Mountains Campaign (SMM) say
last week’s approval by the Scottish Government of SSE’s 67-turbine
Stronelairg wind farm in the hills above Fort Augustus, poses “a serious
threat” to Scottish conservation interests and democratic planning process.
The group says it was approved in the face of legitimate and widespread
opposition from a wide range of stakeholders.
SMM spokesman Chris Townsend said allowing the the application had set a
dangerous precedent and posed a danger to wildlife habitats and areas of
outstanding natural beauty.
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