The Aberdeenshire Wind-Rush (continued)

For more evidence of the extraordinary rush to put up giant wind-turbines in Aberdeenshire and Moray, one need only turn to the Environmental Statement attached to the Mossford application. On pages 81 -82 the report lists all the wind-turbine projects within a 50 kilometer radius of Mossford, including projects that are (a) built (b) have planning permission (c) are ‘in planning’ (i.e. permission has been applied for) and (d) are in ‘scoping’. This last is the stage before putting in a planning application when the applicant consults with the planning authority in order to ascertain whether or not the proposal meets the most basic criteria for being approved, whether the applicant will have to prepare an Environmental Statement, and if so what its ‘scope‘ will be.

Looking down the list we see that out of a total of 81 projects, 19 have been built, 19 are approved and/or under construction, 23 are in planning, 20 are in scoping. Thus if all the 81 projects ended up being approved and built, the number of completed projects would increase by a factor of four. Even if all the projects in planning or scoping were rejected, the number of complete projects would double.

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I have had a look at the projects within a 16 km (= 10 mile) radius of Mossford. In the category ‘built’ we have

1. Balnamoon (in Moray, 8km NE of Keith ), distance 10km, 1 turbine
2. Boyndie (near Portsoy/Whitehills), 14km, 8 turbines
3. Mains of Dummuie (1st ones you come to on the way from Huntly to Inverurie), 14km, 7 turbines
4. Glens of Foudland (2nd ones you come to on the way from Huntly to Inverurie), 15km, 20 turbines
5. Strath of Brydock (on the way from Aberchirder to Banff), 12km, 3 turbines

In the category ‘approved’ we have

1. Hamlyns of Scotland (near Boyndie), 14km, 1 turbine
2. Muirake (1.5 miles west of Cornhill), 7km, 2 turbines
3. Myreton (6 miles NE of Keith, Moray, close to Balnamoon), 9km, 3 turbines
4. Mains of Hutton (=Pitglassie, 1 mile NW of Auchterless), 14km, 3 turbines

‘In planning’

1. Aultmore (Moray, between Keith and Buckie), 13 km, 17 turbines
2. Newton of Fortrie (between Turriff and Forgue), 12 km, 3 turbines

[Note: the Myreton extension has been approved; Netherton of Windyhills appears to refer to the same project]

‘In scoping’

1. Auchinderran (between Aberchirder and Cornhill, just north of Knowes of Elrick – about 2.5 miles from Foggie), 6km, cluster (probably means 3 turbines)
2. Cowie Hill, 11km, cluster
3. Little Hilton, 15km, single.

It is interesting to note that of the projects in the ‘approved’ category, 2 have had a bit of a struggle to be approved. Muirake was recommended to be rejected by the planners, who said

‘The height of the wind turbines at 98.14 metres high would have an adverse impact on the character of the area. The scale of the landform indicates that the size and structure proposed will be perceived in real terms as large, overly dominant and overbearing. As a result they would not respect the character and amenity of the surrounding area as required by policy.’
(ref)

but was finally approved by the Banff and Buchan Area committee (meeting on 25 May 2010). The committee’s reason for departure from the valid Development Plan was that the proposed development would not have an adverse effect on the character and amenity of the surrounding area.(ref)

Here is an artist’s impression of the 2 giant turbines, from the website of the developing agents (they seem touchingly proud of the impact which their turbines will make on the landscape!)









- from http://www.ventoludens.de/index.php?article_id=65&clang=1.

In the case of Myreton (Moray), planning permission for 1 turbine was obtained at first (Moray Planning Application number 07/01102/FUL), then permission for another 2 turbines was sought (09/00247/FUL). This last application was rejected at first. It was said

'The proposal to erect 2 large wind turbines (and associated infrastructure including 1.5km of overhead power lines) in a prominent elevated location does not fall within one of the preferred search areas, as identified in the Wind Energy Policy Guidance and as such is a departure to policy ER1. The proposed turbines by virtue of their scale and position would also be contrary to policies MSP 2(b), 2(l) and MLP IMP1, as these are not considered to be in scale, or character with the surrounding area nor integrated sensitively into the landscape.' (ref: go to date 18 Dec 09 Decision notice - refuse)

However, permission was granted on appeal to the Moray Council Local Review Body (date of decision 19 July 2010). The reason given for overturning the original decision was that it had been made without benefit of the guidance given by the recent Scottish Planning Policy (February 2010) and Moray Council’s even more recent ‘Policy Interpretation for Wind Turbine Developments’ (6th April 2010) – which, in effect, says that it is not essential for a wind-cluster (up to 3 turbines), as distinct from a wind-farm (more than 3 turbines), to lie within a preferred search area.(ref: go to date 21 Jul 2010 Appeal Decision)

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The moral of all this? Conventional planning criteria would lead to the rejection of many recent and up-coming wind-turbine schemes. Only by judicious bending of the rules - by wind-turbines being treated as a special case - do they manage to slip by. Unfortunately this bending of the rules seems to be approved and encouraged by government at the national level. No wonder some-one has described what is happening as 'state-sponsored vandalism'.

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