October 7, 2020
Scotland

Greengairs East windfarm gains approval for higher turbines

By Judith Tonner | Daily Record | 6 Oct 2020 | www.dailyrecord.co.uk

Permission has been given to increase the height of the eight turbines to be installed at the planned new Greengairs East wind farm.

The turbines first proposed for the site north of Easterton on Airdrie Road were originally to be 125 metres high, but North Lanarkshire councillors have now agreed that they can be increased to nearly 150 metres each.

Members agreed that the height increased would be “an acceptable departure” from the original plan agreed last year; and heard that each turbine will be able to generate up to 4.8 megawatts of electricity.

A report for councillors noted: “The changes to the layout and turbine dimensions of the consented windfarm will result in no material changes [from the previous application] in landscape and visual terms.

“The previously-approved scheme was considered to result in significant visual effects on the views from a number of surrounding residential properties, localised areas of surrounding settlements, identified transport routes [and] three recreational sites.

“While resulting in a slight increase in the visual effect, the proposed changes are not considered significant enough to warrant refusal of the application. The magnitude of change [is not] such that it would render the increase to the tip height unacceptable.”

Planning permission for the development was first granted in February 2019, and the new update agreed at last month’s virtual planning committee meeting allows both the increase in height plus changes to the specific turbine locations within the site.

The wind farm has a 25-year permission and also includes a meteorological mast; there were no representations to the new application, while community councils in neighbouring Caldercruix, Greengairs and Plains sent letters of support following the end of the application period.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2020/10/07/greengairs-east-windfarm-gains-approval-for-higher-turbines/