October 4, 2010
Scotland

Scheme for 27-turbine Kiltarlity windfarm to go on show

By Jane Candlish, The Press and Journal, www.pressandjournal.co.uk 4 October 2010

Plans for a windfarm in the Druim Ba forest, near Kiltarlity, will be unveiled to locals at a series of information sessions this week.

Developer Druim Ba Sustainable Energy will hold exhibitions to outline the proposals in Kiltarlity, Abriachan and Beauly.

They will include photomontages illustrating the predicted visual impact, as well as a computerised model which will allow residents to see the likely view of the windfarm from their own properties. The development company was set up by landowner European Forest Resources Scotland (ERFS) to take the windfarm scheme forward.

ERFS director, Donald Ross, said: “These are just the first of a series of exhibitions we will be holding in the run-up to submitting our planning application next year. We are keen to show our plans to as many locals as possible and hear their views. Our original proposal was for 37 turbines. This has now been changed to 27, so the layout of the windfarm is still very much under discussion.

“We would urge all members of the local community to come along and hear about the proposal and the expert studies we have commissioned.

“Equally, our experts will find local knowledge extremely useful in understanding issues relevant to the project.”

Representatives from Druim Ba Sustainable Energy have already visited a number of community councils to outline the project and updates are available on the company’s website.

Druim Ba Sustainable Energy is part of the European Forest Resources Group, a company dedicated to developing sustainable forestry and renewable energy.

Modelled on an approach which has been successful in other parts of Europe, their proposal involves placing turbines in small forest clearings – a process known as “keyholing” – which avoids felling large areas of woodland.

The exhibitions will be held in Kiltarlity Village Hall tomorrow, Abriachan Village Hall on Wednesday, and the Priory Hotel at Beauly on Thursday.

All the exhibitions will run from noon-9pm.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/10/04/scheme-for-27-turbine-kiltarlity-windfarm-to-go-on-show/