The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)

FURY AS JUDGES GIVE WINDFARM GO-AHEAD

Environmen­t: Challenge by John Muir Trust defeated at Court of Session

- BY IAIN RAMAGE

A windfarm the size of Inverness will be added to the so-called “Ring of Steel” around Loch Ness after appeal judges paved the way for the massive developmen­t.

A total of 67 giant wind turbines have been approved for a site within six miles of the world-famous tourist destinatio­n.

Appeal judges yesterday upheld a challenge by the Scottish Government to overturn a previous rejection of SSE’s Stronelair­g scheme near Fort Augustus.

Conservati­on charity the John Muir Trust first succeeded in a judicial review against a Scottish Government ruling that consent should be granted for SSE’s developmen­t on the Garrogie Estate.

But yesterday three Court of Session judges in Edinburgh decided the decision by the late Lord Jones must be recalled.

Scotland’s senior judge, the Lord President Lord Carloway, said it was apparent that due considerat­ion had been given to the visual impact of thescheme despite the trust’s protests.

He said the respondent­s – the ministers – held that the “energy benefits and contributi­on the developmen­t would make to sustainabl­e economic growth outweighed the environmen­tal aspects”.

Lord Carloway, who heard the appeal with Lord Menzies and Lady Smith, said the key issue related to the interpreta­tion of an electricit­y regulation and “whether ministers published the required public notices advising of the impact of the developmen­t on the environmen­t”.

Lord Jones had previously ruled that there was a breach of the regulation by ministers and that the public was denied the chance tomake representa­tions on a revised scheme.

Overturnin­g that, Lord Carloway said: “The reality is that the public and the petitioner­s (JMT) did have ample opportunit­y to comment on the original applicatio­n and the revised scheme.”

SSE said: “We welcome the ruling. Situated in a natural upland bowl, it will not be seen from the Great Glen’s key tourist routes. It will be invisible from Loch Ness.”

JMT chief executive Stuart Brooks said: “We’re disappoint­ed. We took legal action reluctantl­y because of the scale of developmen­t proposed in an area of wild land facing potential ecological damage to a vast area of peatland.”

“It will not be seen from the Great Glen’s key tourist routes or Loch Ness”

 ??  ?? LANDSCAPE: Computer generated images of the Stronelair­g area six miles from Loch Ness that will now likely see a 67-turbine windfarm go ahead
LANDSCAPE: Computer generated images of the Stronelair­g area six miles from Loch Ness that will now likely see a 67-turbine windfarm go ahead

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