September 21, 2018
Scotland

Wind farms ‘trashing’ the countryside

By David Mackay | The Press and Journal | 20 September 2018 |

The Scottish Government has been pressed to stop “trashing” the Moray countryside with wind farm developments.

Fears have already been raised the region is nearing saturation point with the renewable energy technology with 156 turbines already in operation that are more than 165ft tall – with about another 100 granted planning permission but yet to be built.

Now Moray Council has recommended removing the Cabrach as an “area of great landscape value”

due to the construction of the Dorenell project – and said it will have a “strong influence” on the landscape.

The comments have been included in a draft report from the authority that was approved for public consultation this week.

However, Forres councillor Claire Feaver, a former chairwoman of the council’s planning committee, said it was now time for a rethink for future developments.

EDF Energy’s Dorenell wind farm, which will have 59 turbines on the Glenfiddich Estate, was approved by the Scottish

Government despite an objection from the council and about 600 members of the public. However, a similar number backed the project.

Mrs Feaver said: “Our beautiful upland landscapes have been damaged by the ideological obsession with industrialscale turbines.

“The Scottish Government has repeatedly overturned council planning decisions and allowed damaging proposals to go ahead – and the cumulative effect

has been to degrade some of our most scenic areas.

“The last straw was surely the disastrous decision to approve Dorenell.

“This has trashed a beautiful part of Moray.”

Speyside businessman Joerg Bondzio fears his holiday adventure and accommodation firm near Knockando could be ruined by “obscene” turbines from an extension to the Paul’s Hill development.

The German native believes the natural Moray landscape is a big draw for visitors.

He said: “We’ve lived here next to Roy’s Hill for more than 20 years. We’re dismayed by the potential increase in cumulative adverse effects on the hill.

“We bought our property for its remote location and wildness. No wind farms were in planning then. We were here first and we now have to live with the prospect of more applications in the future.”

EDF Energy declined to comment.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/09/21/wind-farms-trashing-the-countryside/