Councillor laments rejection of wind farm plan
A local councillor has reacted with disappointment to a decision to reject proposals for the Green Burn wind farm development near Alyth.
The application centred on 11 turbines situated on land 1.2km west of the existing Drumderg wind farm, which sits 5km northeast of Bridge of Cally.
Applicant ABO Wind UK’s submission was recommended for refusal by council planners due to “cumulative landscape impacts on residential, recreational and tourist receptors”.
Councillors on Perth and Kinross Council’s development management committee voted eight to four to reject the development.
Blairgowrie and the Glens councillor and co-founder of the Cateran Trail, Bob Ellis, addressed members of the committee last week, stating that in his view the wind farm would not affect tourism in the area.
He also claimed that the area could benefit to the tune of £165,000 annually if the development went ahead.
Speaking to the Blairie after the committee decision, Councillor Ellis said: “This decision was, to me, very disappointing, especially as just about all of the statutory consultancy bodies had not objected or had made their concerns known and had been given assurances by the developer.
“A lot of hard work was put into the application by the developers who held a number of public meetings, as well as forums to discuss the proposed community benefit fund linked with the development.”
Councillor Ellis went on: “I was the only local member representing Blairgowrie and the Glens who spoke at the committee meeting and I spoke in favour of the application for a number of reasons.
“These include the fact that the developers had consulted greatly with the public, PKC’s planning department and other organisations and had taken on board some of the comments and feedback they received and reduced the number of turbines and also the height of them.
“In addition, this development is in reality an extension to the existing wind farm.
“I don’t think it would affect the visual impact on the Cateran Trail or that there would be a decline in the numbers of people walking the Cateran Trail, nor do I think it would affect the general tourism in our area, which is growing considerably.
“I also know that the community benefit fund would be a massive benefit to the many voluntary organisations who do so much in our communities for residents and for visitors.
“Sadly, all of this has now been lost and it will be back to the drawing board for these organisations and the hope that they can find the necessary funding from elsewhere.”
At the meeting, anti-wind farm campaigner Alison Petrie claimed the mooted project would damage tourism and the local economy and also said that the turbines would have a detrimental effect on sensitive wildlife species, particularly the area’s birds.
Kirkmichael resident Ms Petrie added: “If this planning application goes ahead, then north Perthshire will have been changed for the rest of my life and, although I have no children, I feel this is not the legacy we should leave behind.”