LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Holyrood plan to ban wind farms from scenic areas 

Credit:  30 April 2013 | www.scotsman.com ~~

Measures to control the location of wind farms have been included in the latest planning policies of the Scottish Government.

Ministers have proposed extending the separation distance between wind farms and cities, towns and villages.

They have also said no wind farms should be located in the 19 per cent of Scotland which is covered by national parks and National Scenic Areas.

The policies are set out in the third National Planning Framework (NPF3) and draft Scottish Planning Policy (SPP), which will influence development plans and guide planning decisions in areas such as transport, energy and infrastructure.

Proposals ‘disappointing’

Anti-wind farm campaigners said the proposals are disappointing.

Linda Holt, spokeswoman for Scotland Against Spin, said: “There is very little new here. It’s already the case that wind farms can’t be built in national parks but the issue is that Scotland only has two national parks and without buffer zones, they are still at risk of having 140m turbines towering over their boundaries.

“We already have a 2km setback for turbines from communities but this is only guidance and is routinely ignored by wind developers; a 2.5km setback which is not mandatory is similarly meaningless.

“What’s the point of protecting wild land from wind turbines when there is no protection against criss-crossing it with giant pylons and infrastructure for offshore wind development?”

Consultation

A consultation on the framework and SPS will carried out to gather a wide range of views.

The proposals also identify new large-scale national developments including two carbon capture and storage schemes in Peterhead and Grangemouth and enhancements at airports such as Prestwick, while the SPP includes references to maps of Scotland’s wild land for the first time, drawn up by Scottish Natural Heritage.

Planning Minister Derek Mackay said: “Scotland needs a planning system that has at its heart the overriding principle of delivering sustainable economic growth in order to maximise the country’s attraction to investors and visitors in a global economy.

“We want future planning decisions to give significant weight to the economic benefit of proposed developments, particularly the creation of new jobs.

Jenny Hogan, director of policy for Scottish Renewables, said it is important that the consultation on the proposals “brings greater clarity to all those concerned with making decisions about Scotland’s landscapes and energy needs”.

Iain McMillan, director of the Confederation of British Industry in Scotland, said: “I welcome the Scottish Government’s emphasis on jobs and the economy as announced today alongside publication of the NPF3. A good and responsive planning system is so important to the success of Scotland’s economy and we look forward to working with Scottish ministers during the consultation period.”

Source:  30 April 2013 | www.scotsman.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon