Opposition mounts to more, bigger Loch Awe wind farms and turbines
Villagers in Dalavich facing plans for more, bigger wind farms between Loch Awe and Loch Fyne hope to turn the scenic area into a regional park in a bid to protect it from ‘industrial development’, writes Sandy Neil.
A proposal to increase the height of Blarghour Wind Farm’s 17 turbines from 136.5m to 180m, already deemed too high by Argyll and Bute Council, is being opposed by Avich and Kilchrenan Community Council, which called a public meeting on Tuesday May 31.
Loch Awe currently has two wind farms, 20 110m-125m high turbines at Carraig Ghael to the west, and 23 80m high turbines at An Suidhe to the east. Three more are in the pipeline, with turbines reaching 180m-200m.
‘Loch Awe will be completely surrounded by near 200-metre tall wind turbines if this pace of industrial development continues,’ said community councillor Niall MacLeod. ‘This will bespoil the area for 30 to 40 years. The whole community feels powerless to protect an area that is more beautiful than Loch Lomond from aggressive huge scale developments.
‘There has been a substantial investment by the community in tourism, now [others] will be reaping the benefits of the Scottish Government’s green energy policy, while killing off our local communities’ only source of income.’
The meeting in Dalavich Social Club was sparked by an application to increase the size of a controversial wind farm across the loch.
Four years ago, Coriolis Energy Ltd applied to build Blarghour Wind Farm, 7 km north west of Inveraray and 4.5 km south of Portsonachan, on sparsely populated moorland used for sheep farming and forestry. It comprised 17 wind turbines, each 136.5m high, together generating 57.8MW. There were 40 objections, including one from Argyll and Bute Council, arguing: ‘The turbines selected are too large for the receiving landscape, resulting in significant landscape visual and cumulative effects which cannot be mitigated.
‘Recommendations for the Loch Awe area state that there is no scope for additional wind turbines over 130m and limited scope for turbines (80-130m high) to be accommodated either side of Loch Awe.’
Scottish ministers triggered a public inquiry. In May 2021, the reporter recommended approval be granted, and the Scottish ministers agreed.
The reporter said: ‘Although [it] will have local significant landscape effects, mainly focused on a section of the shore of Loch Awe around Dalavich and extending to Loch Avich, these are contained and mainly localised. Whilst a reduction in the height of the proposed wind turbines may lead to a modest reduction in the significance of their landscape and visual impacts, this would not be proportionate to the reduction of renewable energy output...In terms of the cumulative effect, the presence of An Suidhe Wind Farm has already introduced change on the hillside.’
A new application has now been submitted to Argyll and Bute Council by Coriolis Energy Ltd, scoping opinion to increase the tip height of Blarghour Wind Farm’s 17 wind turbines from 136.5m to 180m.
Community councillors resolved to object before the deadline yesterday (June 8).
In May the Scottish Government launched a consultation to create the country’s first new national parks in 20 years. These parks, the campaign group Scottish National Parks Strategy Project says, would give ‘our most valued landscapes greater protection from development that would damage the area’s special qualities’.
Community councillors plan to apply for regional park status, following an unsuccessful petition to the Scottish Parliament, on behalf of Avich and Kilchrenan Community Council by Christine Metcalfe in 2017, to designate Loch Awe a National Scenic Area. ‘It will make people think again about stamping all over us,’ Mr MacLeod said.
Statkraft has revealed proposals for a fourth Loch Awe windfarm comprising 21 turbines at 180m high, while RWE Renewables UK Ltd is also proposing to increase the height of 26 turbines at Eredine Wind Farm opposite Kilchrenan from 180m to 230m.