The Highland Council’s North Area Planning committee, when it meets on
Tuesday, is recommended to make no objection to a proposed 22-turbine wind
farm at Altnaharra.
But The John Muir Trust has urged the local authority to reject the
recommendation of its planning officer and lodge an objection to the
development at Creag Riabhach.
They say the proposal would be partially located within an official Wild
Land Area at Altnaharra, with a visual impact extending to a further three
Wild Land Areas
Objections to the scheme straddle government agencies, environmental
charities and outdoor groups including SNH, Visit Scotland, the Scottish
Wildlife Trust and the Mountaineering Council of Scotland.
But Bettyhill, Strathnaver and Altnaharra Community Council support the
development, while Tongue, Durness and Kinlochbervie community councils
have “no objection”.
SNH has stated that the development would “significantly and adversely
affect wild land” while Visit Scotland has expressed concern over the
potential negative impact on tourism.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust is alarmed at the impact on blanket bog, and on
the government’s own climate change targets, while the Mountaineering
Council of Scotland has pointed to the visual disfigurement of a key
mountain landscape, which includes a number of popular Munros and Corbetts,
such as Ben Klibreck and Ben Hope.
Helen McDade, Head of Policy for the John Muir Trust said: “Given the
breadth of opposition from expert bodies, it would be negligent of Highland
Council to allow this application to proceed without the scrutiny of a
Public Local Inquiry.
“In our judgement, the planning officer’s report fails to address the wide
range of negative impacts that this development would have on wild land,
peatland and tourism. Nor does the decision reflect Scottish Government
planning policy brought in last year, which gives greater protection to
Wild Land Areas. Highland Council needs to urgently review its planning
policy and assessments urgently.
“The planning officer’s recommendation also appears to fly in the face of
three recent decisions by Scottish Government ministers, refusing consent
to wind farms in other wild land areas in the Highlands.
“The North Planning Applications committee is to be congratulated for
making the correct call in the past by objecting to four applications
(Dunbeath, Glenmorie, Beinn Mhor and Limekiln) against the recommendation
of its planning officer. All four schemes were later refused by the
Scottish Government, vindicating the decision of the councillors.
“In the interests of consistency, accountability and transparency, we would
urge the North Planning Applications Committee of Highland Council to
object to this application in order that it receives the rigorous scrutiny
it deserves.”
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