March 5, 2012
Scotland

New turbine plan as three others agreed

BY SHONA GOSSIP, The Press and Journal, 5 March 2012

Plans have been lodged for three wind turbines in an area of Aberdeenshire described last week as being at “tipping point”.

Intelligent Land Investments has submitted separate applications for the 149ft machines, which would be built on land around Laurencekirk.

The firm has also put in a proposal for a fourth turbine, of the same height, at Upper Wyndings, Fetteresso, near Stonehaven.

Last week, councillors heard pleas from community groups in the Mearns to look more closely at the cumulative impact of the turbines in the area.

Mearns Community Council secretary Marjorie Stewart told councillors there was “surely” a limit to the number of turbines a “community should be expected to absorb”.

She made the comments as members of the Kincardine and Mearns area committee approved plans for three 328ft turbines at The Shiels, Laurencekirk, near the existing Tullos windfarm.

The latest plans for land south-east of Gossesslie Farm, Upper Powburn, Fordoun and Waterlair, Fordoun have already been considered by Aberdeenshire Council’s planning team, but the developer withdrew them to revise the height of the machines.

They are now back on the table – 26ft shorter – and will be considered by the planners in the coming weeks, before councillors have their say.

Last night Mrs Stewart said the applications were far less objectionable than the one approved last week, as the electricity created would be used to power the local houses.

She said it would be for the community council to decide collectively whether to lodge an objection.

She added: “We didn’t object to them before, but that was before the three were passed last week. Since then other applications have also come up.

“This one is nothing like the 328ft ones, as they will be supporting local farmers and not just being stuck up and directed straight into the grid. However, as a community council we will have to discuss the proposal.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/03/05/new-turbine-plan-as-three-others-agreed/