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Finavon Estate to appeal rejection of wind turbine plan
Credit: By Graeme Strachan | The Courier | 30 March 2015 | www.thecourier.co.uk ~~
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An appeal will be lodged against Angus Council’s decision to refuse a scaled-down wind project at Finavon Hill.
Jeffrey Sanderson, the owner of the Finavon Estate, said he was very disappointed by the decision to refuse planning permission.
Mr Sanderson and agents Kilmac Energy submitted the application for a single 67m turbine with a generating capacity of 500KW in September last year.
The turbine, proposed for land around 5km north-east of Forfar on the Finavon Hill Estate, was refused by the council earlier this month using delegated powers.
Kilmac Energy previously took an application for three turbines in the same area to the Scottish Government following non-determination by Angus Council in 2012, but this was refused.
Mr Sanderson said: “We are very disappointed with the decision of the council as we feel that we have addressed their initial concerns and have put forward a strong planning case.
“We have been considering the development of a wind project on the estate since 2010 and remain committed to taking the application forward and will appeal the council’s decision.”
The estate, owned by Mr Sanderson since 1993, has undergone significant financial and management investment in recent years, with the building of seven houses and the development of a shooting business running alongside the existing farming activity.
Mr Sanderson said there are also consented plans to develop a sporting lodge to meet the requirements of the expanding sporting business activities on the estate, which he said has the potential to create additional employment. He said it is hoped that the turbine would be able to significantly offset the estate’s costs and allow further investment in the business.
He said: “The development of the turbine would help us to diversify our income streams and safeguard the long-term future of the estate, allowing us to invest further in both farming and the construction of the consented sporting lodge.”
Planning officer Neil Duthie says in his report that “some” concerns aired by the Government’s reporter of that time were addressed by the new application.
He added: “I agree that the impacts of the single turbine proposed would be reduced in comparison to the earlier proposal. In particular, impacts on visual amenity of residents have been reduced.”
He also said there would be “significant cumulative landscape effect” along the A90 due to the extensive windfarms in Aberdeenshire to the north, and the Ark Hill development to the south.
“I consider that the site selected would not be capable of absorbing the proposed development to ensure that it fits into the landscape, and the proposed turbine would result in adverse landscape impacts having regard to landscape character, setting within the immediate and wider landscape, and sensitive viewpoints,” he said.
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