July 3, 2014
Scotland

Afton wind plan passed to Holyrood

Cumnock Chronicle | 2 Jul 2014 | www.cumnockchronicle.com

An application to erect 27 wind turbines in New Cumnock has been passed to the Scottish Government after the developer failed to include a full study on the impact it would have.

E.ON UK Renewables submitted the application to the East Ayrshire Planning Committee at a meeting on Friday to build the wind farm near Afton Reservoir, New Cumnock.

Councillors objected to the fact that there was no cumulative impact study submitted with the application.

E.ON submitted two documents, an updated planning statement and a report on the visual impacts the turbines would have. However, neither document gave information on the position of existing wind farms, those currently in the application process and other landscape factors, such as unrestored opencast sites, in relation to the newly proposed one.

Councillor Billy Crawford said: “I spoke up because there were various conditions that the developer simply hadn’t met.

“They hadn’t done a cumulative impact study on the site and that’s why it is on hold whilst being referred to the Scottish Government.”

A copy of the report will be sent to Scottish Ministers and should they decide to approve the application then EAC recommends that E.ON enters negotiations in relation to planning conditions.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/07/03/afton-wind-plan-passed-to-holyrood/