Duror & KentallenNews

The Community Council recently received this communication from Strathnairn Community Council (SCC) based just South of Inverness and within the designated Free Port zone, and felt it was important to share with the Duror and Kentallen community.

Until now, all onshore turbines in the Highland Region, whether in place or approved, have been erected at a maximum height of 149.9m to the tip of the blade.  This is a highly significant figure; critically it means that each and every one falls to the classification of 'below 150m'.  However, the wind farm developers / renewables industry is now gearing up for a change, driven by seeking greater efficiencies  across construction and operations.  

The Strathnairn CC are now seeing the first of the applications coming through which challenge this 'below 150m' threshold.  In short, offshore specification is now coming onshore.  With this comes several changes and of these the most critical are:

• Change to height - in excess of 150m (and typically around 200m) which means, regardless of siting, turbines will be no longer be screened by landforms, building or woodlands, from the 'host' communities or their neighbours (changing the remote rural landscape indefinitely and industrialising it);
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• With this increased height comes the need to introduce industrial civil aviation and MOD lighting, which will be a permanent feature and brings overnight illumination (with a subsequent loss of dark skies indefinitely). For a reference point the telecoms mast at 'Mount Eagle' / Millbuie / Culbokie on the Black Isle is a good local source attached. Here are some other comparisons:

How does this directly affect you and why are we writing? It's two-fold.  

Despite arbitrary geographical boundaries that divide Highland Community Councils, a great many communities will now see red lights on 200m turbines 45/50 km away if consent is granted. However, critically, your communities will not have been notified during the planning process. In short you may not have been consulted as part of the decision-making process. If so, you will likely sit within what is classed as a zone of theoritical visibility (ZTV). This means you are not directly neighbouring the proposal, but from your location it may affect you / be visible.

As Community Councils we have the responsibility of alerting our communities about matters that relate to the environments in which we live. The introduction of new heights of turbines in planning applications means that these arbitrary boundaries need to temporarily be put to one side. There are currently six wind farm proposals in this area alone but, if approved, the red lights that will light them at night will be seen for miles.  Locally, the Lynemore  (Gallileo) Windfarm application at Dalmagarry sought consultation last year proposing turbine heights that were just under the threshold of those requiring aviation lighting. Since that time, four more have been added requiring lighting at night without notification from ECU or from the developer to local communities. These turbines are the first of many here that will be lit by red CAA/MOD compliant lights. They will be seen not only by communities in the immediate vicinity, but also by people living on the Black Isle and towards the Cairngorms at night.  Any day now the planning application will be 'live' on the ECU website which, as you will know (if you are also involved in responded to similar works), means there will be a 30 day period to respond to the ECU.

SCC have been asked for a community representation, as a 'host' community.  However, it is deeply concerning that a vast majority of people, neighbouring but outside our 'boundary', are bypassed over consultation on large scale infrastructure works that directly effect this area / region.  Communities within the proximity of this area, directly or indirectly, may permanently experience irreversible change to the landscape and wider areas that they naturally access but regardless will be denied the opportunity to comment if they so wish.   Added to this, Strathnairn CC know from a recent application that developers can publish 'notices' in the press that do not directly correlate with local geography. This means most people are not given notice of forthcoming planning applications.

In short, and regardless of scale, the wider community have not been informed. They may only become aware when a series of large scale off-shore turbines are installed, complete with industrial / aviation red lights visible at night. These turbines irreversibly change and industrialize Highland landscapes and sightlines - with all that this actually entails. They leave a lasting legacy, which may far outweigh any 'so called' community benefit.  

There is evidently much more than meets the eye at stake, and counter considerations also need to come into play.

Want to support or object to these windfarms? You can have your say by sending an email stating the ECU reference number in the subject header to representations@gov.scot.

For more information on lodging an objection, refer to https://www.gov.scot/publications/energy-consents-how-to-support-or-object-to-an-application/

You may also find this Highland Council Map useful for reference.

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