September 21, 2011
Scotland

Fourth weather monitoring mast given go-ahead in Airdrie

by Judith Tonner, Airdrie & Coatbridge, www.acadvertiser.co.uk 21 September 2011

A weather monitoring mast is to be installed near Moffat Mills in Airdrie to assess the site’s suitability for installing a wind turbine.

London-based Partnerships for Renewables were granted planning permission for the equipment, which will be in place for three years.

The 70 metre high mast will be installed on an area of forest and grazing land south of Roughrigg Road and its junction with Stepends Road, and would be accessed from existing tracks.

It will be fitted with two sets of wind speed monitoring equipment plus “bird flight deflectors” to protect the area’s species, and will be held in place by 28 sets of guy wires.

The mast is part of the investigation into whether the site would be suitable for the future installation of a single turbine, measuring 110 metres in height to its blade tips.

No objections were tabled concerning the proposal, with councillors on North Lanarkshire’s planning committee giving the green light after agreeing “that there would be no unacceptable impacts on residential amenity”.

The weather monitoring mast is the fourth such application this year to be approved for monitoring potential future renewable energy sites in Airdrie.

White Rock Energy will install a 60 metre mast at nearby Gartness, while Your Energy and Bolsterstone Wind Power are each assembling masts of 80 metres and 60 metres respectively at sites near Longriggend.

Officials noted of the latest mast: “The surrounding area generally consists of a commercial forest, currently owned by the Forestry Commission, which is accessible to the public as informal open space.”

The council’s greenspace services department recommended that the mast be moved to the tree plantation area to minimise noise effects from the guy wires on nearby horse riders.

However, the report concluded: “This was not considered appropriate or justified as this would have entailed the removal of areas of commercial forestry.

“It is considered that wind noise is unlikely to have a significant noise impact on public use of the adjacent access track.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/09/21/fourth-weather-monitoring-mast-given-go-ahead-in-airdrie/