March 10, 2011
Scotland

Turbines plan close to TV’s Monarch land

By Mel Fairhurst, The Press and Journal, www.pressandjournal.co.uk 10 March 2011

A windfarm comprising 31 turbines could be built not far from Monarch of the Glen country famed for its splendid Highland scenery.

Energy company RWE npower renewables, which has a base in Inverness, has submitted plans to the Scottish Government to build the towers, each more than 400ft tall to the blade tips, north of Kincraig in Cairngorms National Park.

The area is synonymous with the BBC’s Monarch of the Glen series, which ran from 2000 to 2005, as filming took place in the Badenoch and Strathspey area nearby.

Now, the Allt Duine windfarm could be built about five miles north-east of Kingussie and around the same distance west of Aviemore.

Andrew Brien, chairman of Kincraig Community Council, said the 120 residents who responded to a questionnaire sent out by RWE last year were divided in their views about the proposed development.

He said: “The community council does not yet have a view on this, which is why we are planning a public meeting. We will take a show of hands and then let Highland Council and the Scottish Government know what the response was.”

Ward councillor Dave Fallows, who sits on the Highland Council planning committee which will give its views on the application, said: “We will look at the ins and outs and then form a view but eventually it will go to the Scottish Government.”

A spokeswoman for RWE said: “The proposed Allt Duine windfarm site is within the Highland Council’s preferred area of search for major wind farms. Consultation with members of the public, community councils and organisations including the Highland Council, Scottish Natural Heritage, Cairngorms National Park Authority and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has helped to shape the design and development of the proposed windfarm. With results obtained from a wide range of studies and feedback from public and statutory consultees the design of the windfarm has now been reduced from 34 to 31 turbines with a maximum height to blade tip of 125 metres.”

A consultation took place in September last year when 2,500 newsletters and questionnaires were sent out to homes within a six-mile radius of the site.

Plans are on display and can be viewed at the Highland Council offices in Glenurquhart Road or at Kincraig Post Office, Badenoch Library and Learning Centre and Aviemore Library.

People have until April 13 to give their views. Kincraig Community Council have not confirmed when the public meeting about the windfarm will be held, but it is envisaged it will be on Monday, April 4, at 7.30pm in Kincraig Community Hall.