SCOTTISH windfarm planning policy was in disarray last night after a judge’s ruling overturned the SNP government’s approval of a huge turbine scheme in the islands.
Confusion reigned at Holyrood as a former Scottish Government minister described Lady Clark’s decision to block the massive project on Shetland as “driving a coach and horses” through the current system.
She decided that, because Viking Energy and its partner, SSE, did not have an electricity generating licence for the development and a European directive on wild birds had not been considered properly, the consent granted was “incompetent”. Campaigners believe this will have major repercussions for the renewables industry – and their view was backed yesterday by an expert in planning and environmental law.
US tycoon Donald Trump – who is battling to stop an offshore windfarm being built near his golf resort in Aberdeenshire – described Lady Clark’s ruling as a “game-changer” as it emerged that the consortium behind the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre did not have a generating licence.
The Scottish Government will appeal against the judgment, but neither First Minister Alex Salmond nor Energy Minister Fergus Ewing would comment last night.