April 12, 2012
Scotland

Hermitage turbines plan put on hold

Hawick News, www.hawick-news.co.uk 12 April 2012

Campaigners opposing a wind farm near Hermitage Castle have been granted a stay of execution.

Renewables developer Infinis, which hopes to put up 20 turbines at Windy Edge, announced it is putting the project on hold for six months. The company cites the moratorium on wind farm planning permission – turbines can affect the Eskdalemuir seismic monitoring station’s work – as the reason for the halt.

A limit – already reached – was set on the number of wind farms that could be erected within a 50km radius of the station. There are ongoing discussions and investigations by the Ministry of Defence, Scottish Government and others on the issue.

In a letter to the Windy Edge Wind Farm Community Liaison Group, Infinis spokesperson Matt Chapman said: “Unresolved issues related to the Eskdalemuir monitoring station and RAF Spadeadam mean that if a planning application was submitted now, it would be unsuccessful.

“Any further work on the Windy Edge project will now be scaled back until further resolution and clarity is gained on these outstanding issues.”

He said: “Infinis have identified a really good site which has great potential, but until there is more clarity they are holding off.

“They will be maintaining bird surveys and meteorological monitoring masts but keeping everything else suspended.”

He was unable to say how much the company had invested in the site for the 125-metre-high turbines on Braidlie and Sundhope farms.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/04/12/hermitage-turbines-plan-put-on-hold/