December 6, 2012
Scotland

‘How many are too many?’ — councillors fear cumulative effect of Angus wind turbines

By Richard Watt | The Courier | 6 December 2012 | www.thecourier.co.uk

Individual wind turbines could eventually “ring fence” Angus hillsides, councillors have claimed.

Councillors on the development standards committee approved a single turbine at Edzell on Tuesday, despite worries over its proximity to the Caterthuns.

Brown and White Caterthuns are the setting for hillforts classed as Scheduled Ancient Monuments, which Historic Scotland has said could be affected by wind development.

A council officer said on Tuesday that plans for an installation west of Auchenreoch Farm, Inchbare, was in the planning pipeline, alongside others at Balrennie Farm, Chapelton of Menmuir and Cairndrum Farm – with the latter being withdrawn.

Two of these were closer to the Caterthuns, he added.

There had been three representations made on cumulative, landscape, visual, and noise impact grounds, one being from Inveresk Community Council.

Brechin and Edzell SNP councillor Mairi Evans said she was worried about the amount of applications in the area.

”I have to echo some of the concerns of the community council and Historic Scotland around the cumulative impact of all these applications,” she said.

”We could see the Caterthuns being almost ring-fenced by turbines and the questions is how many are too many? Where do we draw the line?”

Independent Carnoustie councillor Bill Bowles said he also shared in this concern.

”I feel there must be a point of saturation where the area is going to start looking like a windfarm,” he said. ”The council might be best coming up with a single policy to deal with all these individual applications.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/12/06/how-many-are-too-many-councillors-fear-cumulative-effect-of-angus-wind-turbines/