Home   News   Article

Plan for new wind farm on Balnacoil Estate in East Sutherland





Another new wind farm is being planned for a site in East Sutherland.

Coriolis Energy has teamed up with ESB, Ireland’s partly state-owned electricity company, to bring forward plans to develop the 13-turbine Pollie Hill Wind Farm on Balnacoil Estate, some 17km north-west of Golspie.

The turbines would be up to 200m high and the proposed wind farm would have a generating capacity of around 80MW.
The turbines would be up to 200m high and the proposed wind farm would have a generating capacity of around 80MW.

The site selected for the proposed wind farm is within a “failed” commercial lodgepole pine plantation .

The turbines would be up to 200m high and the proposed wind farm would have a generating capacity of around 80MW.

Plans are at a very early stage with a scoping request submitted to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit (ECU).

A scoping application asks the planning authority what environmental factors should be considered and included in an Environmental Impact Assessment for a proposed development.

The developers said: “We are currently gathering information regarding the proposed wind farm, as well as engaging in discussions with local stakeholders to help shape and inform the final application for planning consent.”

The first public consultation is expected to take place in spring this year with a further one planned for the summer.

Sign up for our free twice-weekly newsletter.

“It is of the utmost importance to us that the local community has the opportunity to provide us with feedback that will ultimately help us in the design and construction of the proposed Pollie Hill Wind Farm, the developers said .

Balnacoil Estate has previously had a wind farm application rejected on appeal. The 15-turbine Balnacoil Wind Farm proposal was refused by Highland Council in 2013 and later rejected at appeal by the Department of Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA) in September 2014.

It was deemed that the turbines would have a “significant adverse effect on the Strath Brora area”.

The Pollie Hill Wind farm site is around 4km north-west of the previous application and the nearest wind farms to it are Gordonbush and Gordonbush extension and Kilbraur.

Members of Rogart Community Council had an initial discussion about the Pollie Hill Wind farm when they met in Rogart Hall on Monday evening.

A number of the turbines fall within the Rogart Community Council area with the remainder in the area covered by Brora Community Council.

Community council chairman Frank Roach said the development would have no impact on traffic in the village with construction traffic passing through Strath Brora.

Developers say that there will be a “substantial community benefit fund” attached to the Pollie Hill Wind Farm and its objectives included creating local apprenticeships and hiring local site workers.


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More