Highland Council’s south planning committee has agreed not to raise an objection to a proposed wind farm in Fort Augustus.
SSE is seeking planning permission for Cloiche wind farm, which would sit beside the existing Stronelairg site.
If consented, the wind farm could power 11,000 homes from its 29 turbines.
As a Section 36 application under the Electricity Act, the final decision rests with Scottish ministers. However, Highland Council moved it a step forward today by agreeing not to object to the scheme.
This is despite councillors expressing concern about the “derisory” amount of money flowing back to local communities.
Time to ‘get real’
SSE’s planning application is for 29 wind turbines at a height of 500 feet, on open moorland south east of Fort Augustus.
The proposed wind farm would use much of the infrastructure from the neighbouring Stronelairg, including borrow pits and access tracks.
SSE worked with Highland Council planners to adjust its plans, and followed the council’s advice to reduce both the number and height of the turbines on site.
However, the application still attracted some controversy. The Cairngorm National Park objected on the grounds of visual impact, as did the John Muir Trust and Mountaineering Scotland.
But three local community councils stopped short of objecting. They did however share local concerns over the impact of the Fort Augustus wind farm, including damage to the roads.
Community benefit is a key issue, with Statherrick and Foyers community council pushing for a community liaison group.
This was a theme also picked up by local members. Currently, renewable energy companies pay community benefit of £5,000 per installed megawatt per annum.
Councillor Chris Ballance called this amount “derisory”, while several councillors said the Scottish Government needs to review the figure.
Mr Ballance said only when communities own a share of the wind farm will the benefits “get real”. South planning committee also called for a more joined up approach, understanding the cumulative impact of wind farm developments and being more strategic in sharing the financial rewards.
“Somebody somewhere needs to start listening,” said chairman Thomas MacLennan, adding: “There’s clearly a lot of frustration.”
Despite their concerns, the committee agreed with council planners that the benefits of the wind farm outweigh the visual impact.
The committee agreed to raise no objection, and cloiche wind farm will now go to the Scottish Government for consideration.
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