Councillors from outwith area give go-ahead for windfarm

lochaber’s elected representatives had all voted against controversial turbines

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Lochaber’s first windfarm was given the go-ahead yesterday, but it took the votes of councillors from outwith the area to approve the controversial four-turbine project.

Caol and Mallaig councillors Bill Clark, Allan Henderson and Donald Cameron all opposed the development by Edinburgh-based North British Windpower, but an amendment by Black Isle councillor, Isabel McCallum, seconded by her Lochalsh colleague, Isabel Campbell, won the vote 6-3.

The decision is likely to fuel the continuing controversy over councillors from outwith Lochaber overruling local members and determining issues of major local importance, such as the £80million waterfront development at Fort William.

The windfarm project had run into massive local opposition with 85 letters of objection and only 14 in support of the scheme.

Opposition was also voiced by Fort William and Inverlochy and Torlundy community councils, whose representatives were among a 70-strong audience in Kilmallie Hall, on the outskirts of Fort William, for the special meeting of Ross, Skye and Lochaber area planning committee, which was preceded by a visit to locations around the windfarm site.

Officials had recommended conditional approval of the application for four 262ft turbines, which would generate 10MW over their 10-year lifespan.

The project at Drumfada, to the west of Annat Farm, Corpach, would take nine months to construct, with blades and equipment being brought in by barge to Corpach harbour on Loch Linnhe, then on to the A830 Fort William-Mallaig road. Andrew Shaw, the company’s managing director, said afterwards: “We are pleased at the outcome. It is a sensibly sited windfarm and if Lochaber is to have such a development, then this would be the place to locate it.”

Mr Cameron expressed his disappointment at the decision, warning: “This will now open the floodgates to similar applications.”

Mr Clark added: “By approving the application we would be letting down the many households who took the trouble to make representations.”

Opponents argued the windfarm would be visible from many houses in Fort William and from much of Ben Nevis and Aonach Mor.

One opponent said: “This will desecrate the landscape that people from around the world come to see.”

It was also claimed the turbines would by noisy and have a serious impact on Lochaber’s tourism industry.