THE Scottish Government’s much-trumpeted Wild Land policy is reaching its
first major test.
A decision by the Scottish Government to consent the proposed Allt Duine
wind farm in the Monadhliath Mountains, located adjacent to the Cairngorms
National Park, would signal a very premature death for what might have been
a visionary approach to the protection of Wild Land.
Allt Duine would be a development of 31 125-metre-tall turbines and has
been the subject of fierce debate for several years: a decision is well
overdue.
The proposed wind farm would be situated within Wild Land Area 20 on the
Scottish Natural Heritage map of Wild Land Areas 2014, as adopted by
ministers in Scottish Planning Policy. For it to go ahead would directly
contradict the spirit of that policy and represent a dismal failure by the
Scottish Government to act in accordance with democratic principles.
In a recent poll of local residents almost 75 per cent voted against Allt
Duine going ahead. This is the same community which could benefit from any
financial incentives provided by developer RWE Innogy.
As well as designated Wild Land, the Allt Duine site is an area of great
natural beauty, a habitat for protected species including the golden eagle,
and an important landscape for hill walkers, mountaineers and outdoors
enthusiasts from Scotland and beyond.
The local community is against Allt Duine, as are Scottish Natural
Heritage, the Cairngorms National Park Authority, Highland Council, and the
Scottish Environment Protection Agency. These objectors are statutory
consultees – the Scottish Government’s own experts with which the developer
is required to consult by law. Will the minister ignore their advice?
Given the strength of opposition, the minister must reject Allt Duine. Not
to do so would be to treat with contempt the local community, its own
expert advisors, all those who are committed to protecting Scotland’s Wild
Land, and the Scottish Government’s own democratically settled policy on
defending Wild Land. We’re calling on him to act now.
Chris Townsend, Save Monadhliath Mountains Campaign; Helen McDade, John
Muir Trust; David Gibson, Mountaineering Council of Scotland;
Auchnarrow,
Grantown-on-Spey.
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