Wind farm gets go-ahead

THE Scottish Executive has given the go ahead for a second major wind-farm development in Moray, despite claims by local protesters that the area will be left with the highest concentration of wind farms anywhere in the country.

The new generating station is to be constructed at Paul’s Hill, near Ballindalloch, 16 miles south west of Elgin, and is to be developed by Fred Olsen Renewables Ltd.

The Paul’s Hill site will be turned into a 28-turbine wind farm with a generation capacity of 56 megawatts - enough electricity to meet 10 per cent of Scotland’s renewable energy target for 2010 and provide one-third of Moray’s electricity needs.

Fred Olsen Renewables is the UK arm of the renewable energy division of two Norway-based companies, Ganger Rolf ASA and Bonheur ASA.

Four months ago, ministers gave the go-ahead for a similar 40 million wind-farm scheme at Cairn Uish, in Speyside, which is also being developed by Fred Olsen Renewables. The Speyside project, between Rothes and Dallas, will also have 28 turbines and be capable of generating 56 megawatts of power.

Protesters claim that, taking into account the number of approved and proposed developments, 160 turbines would be erected within a 20-mile radius of Elgin.

Last year, the Stop Windfarms in Moray action group presented a 1,000-signature petition to the Scottish Parliament, calling for a halt to further wind-farm projects until a national strategy is drawn up. The group claimed that the Paul’s Hill and Cairn Uish developments represented the "tip of the iceberg" of wind-farm schemes which will devastate Moray’s tourism industry and destroy the countryside.

Moray Council had backed both schemes but had referred the planning applications to the Executive for a decision because of the scale of the proposed developments.

Factors on choosing the sites included wind characteristics, availability of suitable grid connections, landscape and visual considerations, noise levels and effects on television reception.

The objections included falling house prices and noise.

Scottish Natural Heritage objected to both proposals but indicated that the objections would be withdrawn if appropriate conditions were applied to protect the ecology, landscape and vegetation of both sites.