A Highland councillor will be grilled by an ethics watchdog after a complaint was raised about a controversial wind farm application.
North, West and Central Sutherland councillor Hugh Morrison will appear before the Standards Commission at Highland Council’s Inverness headquarters on May 25 to put across his case.
It concerns the Sallachy wind farm project, which divided community opinion.
The project was unanimously approved by members of the council’s north planning applications committee in April 2022.
But it had attracted a lot of interest in the lead-up to the decision, with 123 objections and 144 comments in support.
Ethics commissioner
The complaint alleges that councillor Morrison failed to declare an interest in the wind farm application before it was considered.
It was made to the Standards Commission, an independent body whose purpose is to encourage high ethical standards in public life through the enforcement of a code of conduct for councillors.
The complaint was investigated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner, Ian Bruce, a regulator appointed by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body.
Mr Bruce concluded that there was no need for councillor Morrison to declare an interest.
That would seem to be the end of it.
However, the Standards Commission will still hold the hearing.
A spokeswoman for the commission said: “Having received the commissioner’s report, the Standards Commission nevertheless decided to hold a hearing.
“It did not consider it had sufficient information before it, at that stage, to conclude conclusively that councillor Morrison had avoided any perception of having pre-judged the application or having demonstrated bias.”
Project won approval of community councils
Councillor Morrison told the Press and Journal he was not in a position to comment on the case before the hearing.
He disputes that there was any breach of the councillors’ code of conduct. He will make his case in Inverness later this month.
Sallachy wind farm is a nine-turbine development on the shores of Loch Shin.
It won the support of several local community councils. Among these were Ardgay, Durness, Lairg and Scourie.
However, Rogart Community Council did voice concerns about the high volume of traffic that would run through the village.
German developer WKN initially wanted to install 22 turbines at the site.
It revised its plan to nine after Scottish ministers rejected its first proposal.
It had been seen as having an unacceptable impact on the Reay-Cassley designated wild land area.
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