Councillors advised to object to energy plan park in Melvich area
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North councillors are being advised to object to a planning application for a 53MW wind farm and battery storage unit in an area of moorland and grazings on the north coast.
Highland Council planners have recommended that the North Planning Applications Committee raise an objection to the 11-turbine Kirkton Energy Park, south of Melvich.
The planning application will be discussed when the committee meets in Inverness on Tuesday, January 30.
It will be decided by the Scottish Government as its generating capacity is above 50MW, but Highland Council is a statutory consultee.
The development is being progressed by Wind 2 Limited in conjunction with companies managed by Octopus Energy Generation – investors in renewable energy.
Kirkton Energy Park would be constructed on an area of land around 2.1km south of Melvich, 8.6km to the south east of Armadale and around 7.9km south-west of Reay.
The site comprises moorland, grazing land, planted native woodland and blanket bog. The scheme’s turbines would be 149.9m at blade tip.
Highland Council has received two objections to the development while the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit has received six objections and four representations in support.
Objectors are concerned about the visual impact the wind farm would have on the North Sutherland landscape as well as the impact on forestry, habitats and biodiversity.
However, developers say the energy park would power around 49,000 average UK households and help Scotland achieve a “fully decarbonised energy system” by 2045.
In recommending an objection, planners said the wind farm would lead to a “significant loss of peatland and bog habitat” within an area bidding for Flow Country World Heritage Status. Their report reads: “The application fails to preserve amenity and has insufficient regard to preserving the natural beauty of the countryside and does not reasonably mitigate the effect of the proposals."
