December 2, 2011
Scotland

The Ochils under threat of industrialisation by more wind turbine plans

by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday, www.perthshireadvertiser.co.uk 2 December 2011

The Ochils, currently a draw for walkers of all abilities, will be “fatally compromised” if the latest wave of wind turbines plans gain planning consent.

Friends of the Ochils committee member Malcolm Best warned the scenic hills between Stirling and Perth will become “one giant wind farm” resulting in a disaster for visitors, hill-goers and local residents and “industrialisation” of the wilderness.

“The Friends are incensed as yet another plan to cover the hills in wind turbines is unveiled,” he slammed.

“Earlier this month Wind Prospect filed three planning applications for 18 more wind turbines at and next to the Burnfoot Hill wind farm.

“If Wind Prospect have their way this will result in a total of 31 turbines on three adjacent sites.

“Friends of the Ochils believe the Ochils are a critically important recreation area and clearly recognised as such by the significant funding the Heritage Lottery Fund has given to the Ochils Landscape Partnership.

“Clackmannanshire has already designated their part of the Ochils as an Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) and the Rhodders site is in the AGLV and while the other two are in Perth and Kinross they will be highly visible from the AGLV.

“The erection of these turbines tears at the heart of the Ochils. The experience of climbing to the top of Ben Cleuch, the highest peak in the Ochils, will be fatally compromised for at least the next 25 years by the ridiculous number of turbines on display from that peak.”

Mr Best outlined the popularity of the hills for recreation.

“This area of the Ochils is less than one hour from Scotland’s two largest population centres, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and as such is visited by many people from these two cities and elsewhere,” the Glendevon resident said.

“To put even more wind turbines on these hills would simply be wrong. In fact this development would turn the Ochils into a landscape of wind farms rather than a landscape of beautiful hills with some wind farms.”

“The Wind Prospect planning applications have been lodged with Clackmannanshire and Perth and Kinross Councils and deadlines for objections will be set within the next few days.”

Formal objections to the scheme can be made online at www.pkc.gov.uk and www.clacks.gov.uk.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/12/02/the-ochils-under-threat-of-industrialisation-by-more-wind-turbine-plans/