Online inquiry into wind farm ‘land grab’ proposal

SSE plan would include part of Carnoustie golf links

A three-day online public inquiry will take place over the planned compulsory purchase (CPO) of land, including part of Carnoustie’s famous golf links, for work associated with what will become Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm.

Cables from the Seagreen development are due to make land at the Angus town and be run underground to a substation near Tealing.

Landowner Angus Council and Carnoustie Golf Links are continuing to fight energy giant SSE’s use of compulsory purchase powers to acquire the land.

The latest stage of the land grab bid was heard on Thursday in a remote pre-inquiry meeting to set the timetable for the main three-day hearing towards the end of next month.

The golf links body’s remaining objections include the physical effects on the land during the wind farm’s construction phase as well as potential longer-term impacts.

Those include loss of income, reputational damage and any likely future effect on the Carnoustie course to host major events such as the Open Championship, which last visited in 2018 and saw Italian Francesco Molinari capture the Claret Jug.

The planned cable route, possible effect on the existing Tealing wind farm and concerns around the project’s impact on Murroes Primary School also remain unresolved objections within the CPO bid.

Carnoustie Golf Links has suggested a route using Ministry of Defence land at Barry Buddon would be a better option.

Reporter David Buylla has been appointed to consider the matter on behalf of Scottish Ministers and the inquiry is due to start on June 22.

Picture: SNS. Italian Francesco Molinari holds on to the Claret Jug after winning the Open Championship in 2018.