Concern over turbine threat

More than 100 people gathered at a special meeting of Dunkeld and Birnam Community Council to voice their concerns over 100 new wind turbines that may be erected in central and Highland Perthshire in years to come.

MORE THAN 100 new wind turbines could rise in central and Highland Perthshire in the years to come.

Concern over that explosion in numbers brought more than 100 people to a special meeting of Dunkeld and Birnam Community Council.

They gathered to alert politicians to community concern about eight separate planning applications for developments in the area.

There are already two large-scale windfarms in the area — at Griffin Forest, with 68 turbines, and Calliacher, with 14.

Community council treasurer Alan Wylie said: “This area of rural Perthshire is under threat by speculative developers.

“We are aware of eight separate developments that are at various stages of application to Perth and Kinross council which, if approved, would add 107 turbines to the existing 82 already operating in our area.

“The 107 proposed turbines would stretch from Forneth and Dulater to the east of Dunkeld and westward through Strathbraan and on to Glen Quaich and Kenmore.

“The meeting showed the cumulative effect that the additional turbines would have on the rural communities.”

Among those listening to the message was Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser, who congratulated the community council for staging the gathering.

“It was clear from the turnout from the public at this meeting that there is widespread community concern about the number of windfarm planning applications coming forward in this area of Highland Perthshire,” he said.

“In addition to the two existing windfarm developments at Griffin and Calliacher, there are now eight new proposed developments, which would bring 107 additional turbines to add to the 82 currently operational.

“It is clear from the meeting that local people feel that enough is enough.

“There is a strong view that this area of Perthshire has already taken its fair share of renewable energy developments and any more will be too many.

“Current planning guidance does allow the cumulative impact of developments to be considered.

“Given the number of existing turbines in the area, any additional consents for new turbines would seem to represent an overdevelopment.

“I hope that all locally- elected representatives present at the meeting were listening to the views heard and will fight together to protect the interests of the local community.”

Residents of east Perthshire communities will join their neighbours inAngus later this month to discuss their own concerns about windfarm proliferation.

That meeting will take place in the Glenisla Village Hall on Thursday April 10 at 7pm.

For an alternative look at wind power, see tomorrow’s Courier.

Picture: Angus Findlay. Some of the pupils from P4-P7 at Inchture Primary School working on their front pages for The Courier’s Junior Journalist Project. From left: Kitty Miller, Ceejay Hudson, Erin Paterson, Amy Adamson, Maisey Dean-Adams, Adam McDonald and Rory Brierton.