An anti-windfarm campaigner is calling on property owners affected by turbines to make use of legislation to claim compensation.
Lyndsey Ward has urged residents affected by windfarm developments to make use of blight notices.
This is a system that can be used to claim compensation or a compulsory purchase order if a home or property has been adversely affected by a new planning development since the owner moved in.
It is believed there have been no applications for blight notices over a windfarm development in Scotland.
Neither Highland Council nor the Scottish Government believes that the blight notice system will apply to windfarm developments. However, Ms Ward believes that it is worth exploring the possible approach to having the council or developer buy a property so the resident can move away.
She said: “It’s only right that there is a system in place for claiming compensation if money is lost because of these windfarms.
“I know plenty of people whose lives have been made a misery by them. It affects house prices, income for businesses, especially in tourism, and general life because of the noise.
“I think that blight notices have been about for a while but I don’t think anyone has used it after a windfarm was built.
“There has been such a rush of applications in the last while affecting so many people that I think it’s definitely something worth exploring.
“I have spoken to a number of people about it since I found out about the notices and several have said they will look into taking it further.”
The Scottish Government said blight notices did not apply to windfarm developments.
A spokesman said Ms Ward’s claim misrepresented the position on blight notices.
“Blight of land occurs where a planning authority identify or otherwise indicate that an area of land will be required for certain essential purposes and this means that the land will at some point in the future be subject to a compulsory purchase order,” he said.
“This does not include windfarm operators or other renewable energy developments.”
Highland Council said it was not aware of having received any blight notices.
Bruce Miller, a senior partner at Munro and Noble solicitors, Inverness, said the notices would be sent to the planning authority if someone attempted to claim their lives had been blighted. He also said he believed the system could apply to windfarms.
He said: “It’s a little-used system but I’m surprised that it’s not more common with bigger developments.”