Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Firm prepared to wait for Ceres windfarm verdict
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
The company behind the Ceres windfarm proposal will not appeal to the Scottish Government at this stage – despite Fife Council not yet having decided on the application lodged nearly a year ago.
EnergieKontor submitted its plans for a five-turbine development at Gathercauld in late May 2007.
However, councillors have not considered the scheme, with planning officials still to confirm whether a report will go to the north east Fife area committee on June 25.
Company general manager Judith Cornfield told the Fife Herald: “We are not currently planning to appeal for non-determination.”
EnergieKontor appealed to the then Scottish Executive when its earlier application at Auchtermuchty had not been determined within eight months, an appeal subsequently dismissed by a government reporter.
The Gathercauld project has attracted hundreds of objections from residents and community organisations, particularly local action group Ceres and District Environment and Amenity Protection Group (CADEAP).
Fife Council said its planners would not be proposing a departure hearing as they were satisfied the application was not a departure from the development plan.
CADEAP spokesperson Graham Lang said his group had kept north east Fife councillors informed of their concerns, and would have taken part in a departure hearing if one had been held.
“It would have been an opportunity to re-emphasise, to councillors and officials present, the negative impact this development would have on our landscape and on those living in or visiting a large part of north east Fife,” he said.
“It is time this application came to committee for determination and we hope that a report is available for the meeting in June.”
The action group’s concerns include the estimated amount of concrete needed during construction and the location of the anemometer mast already erected by EnergieKontor.
“A consultant to the group has calculated that the underestimate of concrete could lead to as much as a 200 per cent increase in heavy goods vehicle traffic during the construction period were the application to be consented,” he said.
Ms Cornfield said EnergieKontor would be commenting to Fife Council on the issues raised by Mr Lang before the determination of the application.
“EnergieKontor does not have concerns over these matters,” she said.
By Janet Howie
15 May 2008
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.
Wind Watch relies entirely on User Contributions |
(via Stripe) |
(via Paypal) |
Share: