April 2, 2015
Scotland

Plans for wind farm near Grantown suffer setback

Strathspey & Badenoch Herald | 01/04/2015 | www.strathspey-herald.co.uk

An application for two temporary met masts for a wind farm being lined up for the Dava Moor has been rejected.

The Ourack Wind Energy Project is planned by Swedish state owned company Vattenfall around six kilometres north of Grantown.

Members of Highland Council’s South Area Planning Applications Committee meeting today in Inverness rejected plans for the masts on the moorland.

SNP Badenoch and Strathspey councillor Bill Lobban told fellow members at the Town House in Inverness that the masts proposed for west of Larig Hill and east of Dava Farm Cottage would have a devastating impact on the beauty of the area.

He raised a motion calling on members to reject the scheme.

Fellow local SNP councillor Dave Fallows agreed with the objection, saying: “This is one of those very special places.”

Frank Park, Vattenfall’s project manager for the Ourack Wind Energy Project, said: “We are obviously disappointed by the decision of The Highland Council.

“We will assess the reasons for refusal before deciding on our next step.

“This decision could cause delay to a major investment in the Highlands that would benefit local business and communities.”

Vattenfall submitted the application in February to Highland Council to erect two temporary high masts up to 90 metre tall to measure wind speeds on the 30 square kilometre Ourack wind energy development area.

The data was to be collected for three years, after which the masts were scheduled to be removed.

Public still to be sold on wind farm project – see tomorrow’s Strathy

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/04/02/plans-for-wind-farm-near-grantown-suffer-setback/