by Iain Ramage
A developer is challenging Highland Council’s rejection of a slimmer
windfarm for a beauty spot on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park.
Councillors blocked a revised, 13-turbine, Tom nan Clach scheme proposed
for the Dava Moor by Infirnergy, in January on the grounds that the
development – albeit with four fewer towers – would still breach the local
plan due to visual and cumulative impact. The towers would be up to 410ft
(125m) high.
The decision has been appealed to the Scottish Government and may trigger a
costly public inquiry.
Leading Highland anti windfarm campaigner Pat Wells shed tears of joy when
members threw it out.
Speaking yesterday, (WED) she said: “The appeal is unwelcome but inevitable.
“If the same democratic planning process existed in Scotland as south of
the border, the unanimous refusal of the committee would have been an end
to this protracted threat to Dava Moor.”
She added: “It will now be left to an unelected employee of the Scottish
Government to guide ministers. Objectors have no such right of appeal.”
The scheme would be within sight of Lochindorb between Grantown and Nairn.
It is a joint venture between power firm Infinergy and Earl Cawdor.
The site was consented in July 2013. Infinergy hopes to use advances in
technology to increase output at the proposed site by 26% while reducing
the quota of turbines from an initial 17.
The developers have promised a community windfall of almost £5million over
the project’s 25-year lifetime.
Infinergy’s managing director Esbjorn Wilmar (CORRECT) said: “We feel the
council has got this decision wrong.
“This redesign not only provides an opportunity to greatly increase the
renewable electricity generated but reduces the number of turbines and
infrastructure required.”
Nairn Provost Laurie Fraser warned at the January meeting that the turbines
would be built irrespective of what the committee decided, predicting that
SNP Government ministers would overrule them after an inquiry.
A spokeswoman for the government’s appeals department said: “The appeal is
at an early stage and once a reporter has been appointed will be considered
on its own merits. The procedure to be followed will be a matter for the
reporter to consider in due course.”
2 Comments
Stop the gravy train · March 21, 2016 at 7:19 pm
“The procedure to be followed will be a matter for the reporter to consider in due course.”
The procedure is well established: ignore democracy, ignore the local people, ignore health and amenity impacts and just do Fergus Ewing’s bidding, after all the reporters are appointed by the ministers into their cushy little positions and have no accountability to those whose lives they destroy.