Written by Gill Wollers
Canadian company Brookfield Renewable, which has been working on the
development of a wind farm above Dunoon’s West bay, has decided to ditch
the idea.
The plan was to build a wind farm of ten or more large turbines on Forestry
Commission Scotland land at Bachan Burn – a site close to two previously
rejected by the Scottish Government.
In a letter to MSP Michael Russell a spokesperson for the company wrote:
“Over the past 12 months we have examined in detail all development and
commercial aspects of the project. Our assessments have been led by the
various commercial and technical requirements a wind farm site needs to
viably operate within the new energy market, together with the continuous
need for maintaining an appropriately designed wind farm in planning and
environmental terms.
“The outcome of our assessments has resulted in a decision to no longer
progress development activities at this particular site.
The proposals had resulted in public meetings where 100 per cent of those
present were opposed to the idea.
MSP Michael Russell told the Standard: “‘This is very good news and I hope
it brings to an end, once and for all, any attempts to erect a wind farm on
this site. There have been three proposals over the past few years and all
have met strong local resistance. This latest one was accompanied by claims
that the landscape and environmental issues could be overcome but in
reality this spot was never going to be suitable for the erection of
massive towers that would have dominated the view from the Clyde and would
have been visible from Bute as well.
“The developers should have realised that much sooner and the Forestry
Commission, who own the land in the public’s behalf, should also have
intervened. Local public support was shown to be almost completely lacking,
but at least common sense has now prevailed at last.
“Unfortunately this type of unacceptable proposal makes it easier for those
who oppose all wind farms to further their campaigns and developers need to
recognise that the sensible and sustainable wind industry isn’t helped by
speculative and ill founded proposals such as Bachan Burn, and act
accordingly.“
Separately, Brookfield Renewable UK Limited will continue with the
development of its pipeline in Scotland with the first operational wind
farm scheduled for completion in 2019 and remains committed to investing in
greenfield acquisition opportunities.
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