April 18, 2011
Scotland

Perthshire windfarm scheme is bunkered

By Shona Gossip, The Press and Journal, www.pressandjournal.co.uk 18 April 2011By Shona Gossip, The Press and Journal, www.pressandjournal.co.uk 18 April 2011

Plans for a windfarm in Perthshire have been blocked after the hosts of the 2014 Ryder Cup warned it could damage the event’s success.

West Coast Energy had put forward plans to build eight 328ft turbines on land at Standingfauld and Cairn Farms, between Muthill and Braco.

The Welsh company acknowledged there would be some noise and visual impact, but claimed the £26million project would produce enough electricity to supply 11,000 homes.

But Perth and Kinross Council rejected the plans after councillors saw discrepancies in its claims and decided it would “negatively impact” the landscape.

It has also now emerged that the Gleneagles Hotel sent the local authority a letter of objection to the proposals, amid fears they would have a negative visual impact on the Ryder Cup.

The hotel and golf venue, which will host the event in 2014, was represented by specialists from the Edinburgh offices of global real estate firm Colliers International.

Associate director Neil Gray said: “The proposed development risks impacting on the landscape and visual resources of Strathearn, including its effect on the Gleneagles Hotel historic garden and designed landscape.

“It also carries a significant risk of affecting the economic development and growth of the council’s tourism and lecture sector because of its proximity to Gleneagles, the host of the 2014 Ryder Cup international golf event.”

Standingfauld Environmental Action Group also lodged an objection, saying the turbines would affect TV viewers’ enjoyment of the championship. Bill Thomson, chairman of the group, welcomed the council’s decision to block the application.

He said: “We are very pleased with the outcome of the planning process. Not only did it make no economic sense, but these unsightly turbines would have had a terrible impact on the Ryder Cup when it comes to Scotland.

“When you watch golf on television, the cameras quite often pan round the area and you see the views of the area. With many golfing tournaments the views often look as though you can be a million miles from anywhere, but these structures would have ruined that backdrop and setting.”

In total, 291 letters of objection were received in response to the project, compared with 208 of support.