June 8, 2012
Scotland
Scotland
New rules call for windfarms
The Courier, 8 June 2012
A Mearns group monitoring the windfarm “gold rush” in the north east has called for new legislation.
Nick Orpwood, founder of Concerned About Wind Turbines (CAWT), said new guidelines are needed to ensure that no one has to live within a mile and a quarter of a 260ft turbine.
He said the distance should be increased as the turbines become taller.
“Aberdeenshire needs to follow what is being done south of the border,” he said.
The “gold rush” will continue because in Aberdeenshire turbines are permitted 400m from residences – yet in Fife it is 2km.
The group set up a website to track the various proposed projects and give advice on responding to wind energy applications.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said ministers wanted to see the right developments in the right place.
“In March, Scottish Natural Heritage published new guidance to help planning authorities assess onshore wind applications and in particular their consideration of cumulative impacts,” she said.
“Planning authorities, and where appropriate the Scottish Government, will only allow windfarms to be built where the impacts have been found to be acceptable.
“Unsuitable applications are rejected.”
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/06/08/new-rules-call-for-windfarms/