Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has today refused planning consent for the 34-turbine Glenmorie wind farm near Bonar Bridge in the Highlands.
The Energy Minister agreed with the findings of the Public Local Inquiry Reporter that the wind farm would cause unacceptable landscape and visual impacts, including on wild land. Highland Council had earlier objected to Glenmorie Wind Farm LLP’s application stating it would impact the landscape and scenery of the area.
Mr Ewing said “Scotland has enormous potential for renewable energy that is delivering jobs and investment across Scotland, and I am determined to ensure communities all over Scotland reap the benefits from renewable energy. We need a balanced approach in taking forward this policy and have to consider what impact any development would have on the local area.
“That is why I have refused permission for the proposed wind farm at Glenmorie, which would have had an unacceptable landscape and visual impact, including on the wild land, in the Highland Council area.
“The Scottish Government wants to see the right developments in the right places, and Scottish Planning Policy is clear that the design and location of any wind farm should reflect the scale and character of the landscape and should be considered environmentally acceptable.”
The John Muir Trust and the Mountaineering Council of Scotland both welcomed the decision.
Helen McDade, Head of Policy at the John Muir Trust, said: “We are delighted that this development has been refused. It was a wholly inappropriate site, which would have impacted on an area recently confirmed as a Wild Land Area. This was an unsuitable development that should never have been brought forward in the first place. It would have destroyed an area of wild land, had a damaging effect on peat land and could have had harmful long-term economic consequences for the area.
“Councillors from all political parties came together to object to this giant development. There was also strong opposition from the local community. It would have been a travesty of democracy if this development had been given the green light.
“The refusal today by the Scottish Government sends a strong message to developers that it is inappropriate to target areas now recognised in Scottish planning policy as nationally important for their wild land qualities. And it is a welcome indication that the Scottish Government is delivering on its commitment in the new National Planning Framework 3 to continue its strong protection for our wildest landscapes. This is a victory for those who want to see Scotland’s wild land protected against large-scale industrial development. We are therefore delighted that the Scottish Government has rejected it.”
David Gibson, Chief Officer of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland said: “We are very relieved that the right decision has been made on a deeply wrong-headed scheme.
“We objected to the development and participated in the public local inquiry (PLI) due to its highly intrusive visual impact on some of Scotland’s finest mountains and wild land. I would like to thank the Scottish Mountaineering Trust, BMC and our members who supported our efforts to oppose the development.
“Like many other objectors, we are hoping for a similar decision on the Allt Duine Wind Farm proposal which, if approved, would be a major industrial development on wild land and adjacent to the <a href=’http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/cairngorms/’>Cairngorms National Park</a>. The Allt Duine PLI took place about nine months prior to that for Glenmorie, so we think a decision by John Swinney MSP must be imminent.”
The MCofS does not oppose onshore wind farms and has only objected to around one in twenty proposals. It fights schemes where they threaten our rapidly diminishing areas of wild land and would harm Scotland’s magnificent mountain landscapes.