Firm to appeal after Arbroath Abbey wind turbine plan rejected

A COMPANY has launched an appeal over the refusal of planning permission for a wind turbine which objectors claim would ruin the view of Arbroath Abbey.

Arbroath Abbey. Picture: submitted

The proposed turbine would have been on the south-west corner of Bairds Malt’s Arbroath malting plant, with a height of 252 feet – more than 30 foot higher than the national Wallace Monument.

Prior to the refusal by Angus Council, the authority’s countryside officer, Stewart Roberts, warned the proposed turbine would adversely affect the setting of Arbroath and the historic abbey.

The report also stated that the single turbine on Elliot Industrial Estate would “dominate houses and have an overbearing effect”.

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The proposed turbine was refused following 141 letters of objection.

However, Bairds Malt has claimed any effect on historic vistas of the abbey, where Bernard of Kilwinning, then Chancellor of Scotland and Abbot of Arbroath, wrote the Declaration, were “unavoidable but not unacceptable”, and insisted it had “a strong appeal case”.

Richard Broadbent, technical director at Bairds Malt, said: “We were disappointed by the refusal in March and do not agree with the council’s interpretation of our application, in particular the concerns raised by the council’s landscape officer.

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“Our studies show that there will be no significant landscape effects and while there will unavoidably be visual impacts, our assessments do not deem these to be at unacceptable levels.

“Bairds Malt brings significant investment into the local community and provides employment for many families in the area.

“Our proposed turbine would enable us to significantly reduce our costs, allowing us to maintain our level of business and remain competitive in an increasingly challenging marketplace.”

He added: “The refusal did not recognise the potential for growth in the local economy and how the development would be a genuine benefit to the local community.

“We remain committed to delivering job security for our employees through this development and believe that we have a strong appeal case.”

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