A proposed windfarm on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park would make
“a landscape of wind turbines, not a landscape with turbines”.
It was the view of Councillor Peter Argyle as he chaired a meeting of
Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee (ISC) which has
agreed to lodge a formal objection to windfarm proposals with the Scottish
Government.
Coriolis Energy wants to create the 26-turbine network on the Fasque and
Glendye Estates, north of Edzell.
Each turbine would have a maximum height of 149.9m to blade tip – and
capable of producing around 4MW.
In addition to the formal objection it now faces from the local authority,
the development has been subject to a raft of objections including those
from the Ministry of Defence, SEPA, RSPB, Scottish Natural Heritage and The
John Muir Trust who have all raised concerns along with three local
community councils.
In a report to the ISC, councillors were recommended to object on several
grounds including the fact that the proposed development would have a
significant impact on a protected area which has a “sensitive landscape,
high visual prominence, high wilderness and recreational value”.
Officers – who were praised by councillors for their “complete and reasoned
report” – advised that the applicants had not demonstrated that the
proposals would not have a “detrimental impact upon aircraft and aviation”.
They said it had not been demonstrated that the application of a ‘blanking’
area over the turbines detected by radar would be effective in removing the
significant effects.
The objection will also be made on the grounds that an environmental impact
assessment report has “underestimated” the potential landscape and visual
impacts of the proposed development “which is considered to be incongruous
and inappropriate for this setting” from popular hillwalking routes and
viewpoints.
Councillors were unanimous in their objection to the proposals, with
Councillor Argyle stating he had never seen such a “robust, detailed and
comprehensive” objection to any development.
Lying within a special landscape area which offers some of the best views
and most outstanding scenery in the Shire, Councillor Argyle said there was
“no capacity for a windfarm of this scale” and no material considerations
which outweighed the authority’s planning policies.
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