Three windfarms proposed to be sited close to the shores of Kintyre, in the Solway Firth and Wigtown Bay have been refused planning permission by the Scottish government. A further six were given the green light and can now apply for individual planning permission and the developer withdrew a 10th application. The Scottish Government has responsibility for planning within 12 miles of the coast with the UK government handling anything further out.
Responding to the appliactions, an economic assessment by the Scottish government found that the tourism sector would face the biggest losses because of the turbines’ visual impact. The report stated that tourism could lose as much as £3.5m per year, mostly in Argyll and the south of Scotland. Fisheries were also considered vulnerable to financial losses. In total it was estimated that the cost to local economies, including businesses such as leisure boating, could come to more than £8m. The Wigtown Bay application had, in particular, drawn a lot of local opposition relating to environmental and economic concerns.
The approved off-shore sites are in the Firth of Forth, the Firth of Tay, to the east of Caithness, and west of Islay and Tiree. The final site site, near the Bell Rock lighthouse, was withdrawn by developers before ministers reached their decision.
In the future the Scottish Government will have to consider plans for large areas north of Lewis and Sutherland, south of Barra and west of Colonsay.