Councillor intervenes amid dismay at shock Sutherland wind farm decision
A VETERAN Sutherland councillor has intervened following a shock decision on a controversial Sutherland wind farm application.
Cllr Richard Gale took action after the North Planning Applications Committee (NPAC) agreed last Wednesday to withdraw its previous objection to the 79.2 MW Acheilidh Wind Farm in Rogart.
The committee was deadlocked 5:5 over the issue, forcing chairman Drew Miller, who represents the Isle of Skye, to use his casting vote.
Sutherland did not have its usual representation on the committee due to the suspension of North, West and Central Sutherland councillor Michael Baird.
The decision dismayed opponents who had expected the application to be heard at a public inquiry, given the council’s initial opposition.
Developments above the 50MW threshold are determined by the Scottish Energy Consents Unit, but an objection from a local authority triggers a public inquiry.
Cllr Gale, who is a member of NPAC but who opposed the application, has since submitted a notice of amendment to bring the application before the full Highland Council.
He said this week: “It has been confirmed that I have had the required level of support for my notice of amendment, so it will go to a full council meeting to be debated.
“The whole application will be debated afresh, with a final decision on whether or not to raise an objection. I feel this is too important a decision to be decided by a tied vote.”
German renewable energy company Energiekontor is seeking permission to build Acheilidh Wind Farm - formerly known as Lairg III - on open moorland 7.6km south-east of Lairg and 8km west of Rogart.
A total of 12 turbines are proposed, six measuring up to 230m high and six up to 200m high, together with associated infrastructure including a 5MW battery energy storage system.
Ten objections to the development were received, including one from Rogart Community Council, which carried out a consultation in which the majority of respondents were against the development.
NPAC first considered the application at a meeting in October last year when it was agreed to follow the recommendation of planners and object.
Planning officer Mark Fitzpatrick said at the time that there were serious concerns about the “positioning and prominence of the turbines in an area of rolling hills”.
However, NPAC councillors were asked last week to reconsider the Acheilidh application in light of recent decisions by Scottish ministers, particularly the go-ahead for Garvary Wind Farm.
The report to councillors at the meeting said: “Whilst there have been no material changes to the scheme itself since the proposal was previously considered, the broader context in which this application now requires to be assessed has changed as a consequence of the recent Garvary Wind Farm decision.
“Scottish ministers’ decision on that development is a key material consideration that demands significant weight and has tested the acceptability of wind farm development in the locale….. In many of the viewpoints considered, the magnitude of change arising with this development following the Garvary decision has been significantly diminished.
“.... It is considered that the council’s objection can no longer be sustained.”
Following the meeting, Rogart Community Council chairman Frank Roach emailed Highland Council chief executive Derek Brown, saying that there had been a “democratic deficit” due to the absence of Cllr Baird.
Mr Roach also pointed out that while chairman Drew Miller had used his casting vote to withdraw the objection to Acheilidh Wind Farm, he had opposed the repowering of Ben Aketil Wind Farm on Skye.
