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Councillors voice objections to Kaim Hill wind farm plan
Credit: 25th May 2025 · By Stewart McConnell · ardrossanherald.com ~~
Councillors have voiced objections to the erection of 14 wind turbines on the highly picturesque Fairlie Moor Road, warning they will have a negative visual impact on the area and affect residents’ health.
And Kilwinning SNP councillor Scott Davidson told Wednesday’s planning committee they would be twice the height of the prominent Ardrossan turbines.
The Scottish Government’s Energy Consent Unit consulted the council, as planning authority, on an application for the erection of 14 wind turbines with a maximum tip height of 200 metres and generation capacity exceeding 80MW and the siting of a battery energy storage system with a capacity exceeding 50MW to include associated infrastructure.
The Electricity Act states that consent is required from the Scottish Ministers for the construction of energy generating developments and storage with a capacity exceeding 50 megawatts.
The Energy Consents Units, in accordance with The Electricity (Applications for Consent) Regulations 1990, have sought the views of the council, as planning uthority and the council have until May 28 to respond.
There would be seven turbines on the northern side of the Fairlie Moor Road, sited on the southern and western side of Kaim Hill and Green Hill to its south-east.
The other seven turbines would be on the southern side of Fairlie Moor Road sited approximately in a line running from north-west to south-east along the Crosbie Hills and either side of the Glenton Hill and Gill Hill.
The turbines would be linked by tracks from the access at the B781/B780. Officers say the visual impact would be significant and would be both localised and in the wider area.
Cllr Davidson said: “When you take into consideration the height of these turbines – 200m from tip-point to ground 200m.
“When I think about the height of Ardrossan and Kelburn, this application is twice the height of those turbines which are 100m individually.
“The visual effect from the surrounding areas and viewpoints is certainly a concern for me.”
Independent North Coast councillor Ian Murdoch said: “These will be the largest onshore turbines in North Ayrshire – two-and-a-half times larger than any of the existing turbines in the area.
“These are offshore turbines not onshore turbines and should be nowhere near residential areas – they require huge setback areas.
“My constituents in Fairlie and West Kilbride could potentially have their health affected by this and some properties would be uninhabitable if infrasound low frequency noise – there are test cases in Ireland or Shetland highlighting this at the moment.”
Acting Planning chair Cameron Inglis proposed accepting officers’ objections to the Energy Consents Unit and this was seconded by Cllr Ronnie Stalker and agreed by the committee.
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