Highland Council to raise objection to Kintradwell Wind Farm amid concern over its visual impact on landscape
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Highland Council objects to planned Kintradwell Wind Farm
Highland Council is objecting to a controversial wind farm application for a site just north of Brora.
The authority has come out against renewable energy company RES’s plans for a 15-turbine wind farm on a moorland site at Kintradwell Estate, some 7.7km north of Brora.
The application lies with the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit because its capacity would be around 63mw – in excess of the 50mw threshold at which applications are decided by the local authority.
However Highland Council is a statutory consultee and makes its views known to the consents unit.
The decision was taken under its scheme of delegation where it is only decided at committee level if at least two ward members request in writing that this be done.
The authority received a total of 208 objections to the development with 38 representations of support. Meanwhile the Energy Consents Unit has received 239 objections with 17 in support.
Planning officials recommended refusal largely on the grounds of the wind farm's likely visual impact.
They concluded: “The council is in agreement with the findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) that the development of Kintradwell Wind Farm is likely to give rise to new significant adverse impact on the environment, notably in terms of its landscape and visual impact.
“The council however, considers that these landscape and visual effects extend beyond those reported in the applicants EIAR.
“Overall the council is not satisfied that the environmental effect of this development can be addressed by way of mitigation.”
Highland Council’s stance was discussed by Brora Community Council at its meeting last Tuesday - the community council has also objected to the wind farm.
Community councillor Diana Royce said: “Highland Council is objecting to Kintradwell. That is really good news for us all.”
“I do not think it will get through. It is not just the impact on Brora, it is the impact on the entire East Sutherland coast.
“Because it is so high up you will see it from Portmahomack, Tain, the Dornoch Bridge, Dornoch golf course. It is all that East Sutherland coastal area that is going to be affected.”
Her colleague David Andrews said: “I will make a prediction. It will be turned down. They (the developer) will then go to appeal and after COP26, they will not refuse any application for a wind farm because it would go against the green agenda.”
RES announced last December that it had signed an agreement with Brora civil engineering firm Edward Mackay Contractors giving them right of first refusal on the civil construction work for the scheme.
