Perthshire windfarm development rejected

green burn: Councillor surprises colleagues by speaking in favour of controversial plan

A Perthshire councillor who has played a leading role in bringing walkers to the area surprised his colleagues by speaking in favour of a windfarm development.

Councillor Bob Ellis threw his weight behind the Green Burn windfarm project, which would involve 11 turbines near to the existing Drumderg windfarm, Alyth.

Addressing the development management committee yesterday Mr Ellis, who co-founded the Cateran Trail, conceded local people were split by the plan.

However he did not believe claims windfarms deterred visitors from coming to Perthshire.

Mr Ellis said he transported many walkers from their accommodation and he always asked them if there were any issues with the Cateran Trail needing to be addressed.

“Nobody since 1999 has said anything about windfarms,” he said.

Mr Ellis also supported the windfarm as the financial benefits to the community – in the region of £165,000 each year – were considerable.

The meeting had heard from local farmer Alison Petrie, who made an impassioned plea to reject the project, claiming it would damage wildlife, tourism and the local economy.

Clark Crosbie for the applicants, ABO Wind UK, said assertions that the plan would harm tourism were “unsubstantiated” and that £7 million would be injected into the economy during construction.

He also said that the turbines would create enough electricity to power 19,000 homes.

After the committee voted eight to four to reject the plans Mr Crosbie said they were “extremely disappointed”.

“We have worked very closely and collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders over the past three years to develop this project and we believe very strongly it complied with all relevant technical and planning requirements,” he said.

“In particular, we believe that Green Burn windfarm is an appropriately designed windfarm, located within an area the council has formally identified as suitable for a windfarm of 13 to 20 turbines up to 120m high”.

“We were especially disappointed with the planner’s recommendation to refuse on landscape and visual impact grounds.

“ABO Wind will now review the decision in detail before considering our next steps.”

Bob Ellis, who co-founded the Cateran Trail, claimed the financial benefits of the windfarm would be considerable.