Last minute appeal for wind farm bid
A bid to build a £40 million wind farm in Midlothian has been resurrected by energy giant E.ON.
The firm’s plans to build 18 wind turbines with a maximum height of 102 metres at the popular Auchencorth Moss beauty spot near Penicuik were rejected by Midlothian Council in February.
But the scheme now looks set to go to a public inquiry after E.ON lodged an appeal against the decision with just days to spare before the deadline to appeal expired.
The project would provide an alternative source of power for 22,000 homes – 60 per cent of Midlothian’s population – but has attracted fierce opposition from locals who lodged thousands of objections.
But E.ON today stood by its application, adding a series of independent reviews it has conducted since the council rejected its plans have backed Auchencorth Moss’ suitability for the wind farm.
John Thomson, spokesman for the Penicuik Environmental Protection Association, which led much of the opposition to the scheme, said: “This is a massive disappointment to us, now Midlothian Council will have to defend its decision at considerable expense.
“In our view it is simply an unsuitable site, there is no middle ground and I hope we can finally put this to rest when the public inquiry gets underway.”
In 2006 celebrated TV botanist David Bellamy joined the campaign against the wind farm.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News
2 September 2008
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