Plans for a huge new wind mast at the Correen Hills, designed as a precursor to a wind farm, have sparked outrage among rural Aberdeenshire residents.
EDF Renewables operates a number of wind farms across the UK, and wants to add another at the beauty spot north of Alford.
The company says the Correen Hills mast, which would be 20m bigger than Big Ben, could set the stage for a possible 10 turbines being erected.
What exactly are the plans?
The purpose of the mast is to gather data that will give information on the weather of the site, including wind speed, rainfall and temperature.
This mast would be in place for five years while information is recorded.
Why is Deputy Lieutenant against it?
However, the plans sparked alarm with some Donside residents – including one notable figure.
As Deputy Lieutenant for Aberdeenshire, Grenville Irvine-Fortescue is a Crown-appointed official who assists the King’s Lord-Lieutenant in the area.
The retired regimental major with the Gordon Highlanders stays nearby at Rhynie.
In an objection to the council, he called the plans a “kick in the teeth” for “vulnerable” rural communities.
Major Grenville Irvine-Fortescue said: “People do not come to live under pylon lines or beside windfarms.
“Tourists come to enjoy the beauty of our unspoilt local landscapes by day and for example by night – the almost unique ‘dark skies’ of some of our local area that will be destroyed by further windfarm expansion.”
‘These will destroy our countryside’
While the Deputy Lieutenant “accepts the need” to tackle climate change, he argued that Aberdeenshire and Moray had become “target shires” for expansion.
He added: “There are more in this area that are in the ‘pipeline’ and, if permitted, will add further significant destruction to a remarkably historic and special part of our countryside.
“Those who are proposing further windfarm expansion within this part of
Aberdeenshire do not care one iota about the impact.
“We (the local communities) are fed the ‘bluster’ about caring consultation. What nonsense.”
Others raise aviation fears
As well as the visual impact on the landscape, residents have argued that the mast will pose as a significant risk to aircraft.
Dr John Laurence Thorogood, who has been flying at the Insch airstrip since 1986, said that the proposed location of the Correen Hills mast puts it right in the flight path for aircraft.
He described a close encounter where he “at dusk almost collided with a recently erected and unlit anemometry mast located in the Cabrach”.
And the owner and operator of Insch Airstrip, Kenneth Wood, objected to the application too – calling it a “serious hazard to aviation”.
Mr Wood, said: “This site is close to our circuit pattern at Insch and represents a real risk to our operations.”
So what does the MOD make of the Correen Hills wind mast plans?
And it’s not just amateur fliers who flagged concerns.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) was contacted too, as the mast would be in one of its flying zones.
Military chiefs did not raise an objection – but did issue some requests to make sure pilots are safe.
They asked that lighting is added to the mast, to ensure it is visible to passing jets.
Without this, it could be a “potential obstruction hazard”.
Chris Waldron, assistant safeguarding manager for the MOD, acknowledged that “the proposed development will affect military low flying training activities that may be conducted in this area.”
What did Aberdeenshire Council decide?
Despite the concerns, the council’s planning department has now approved the Correen Hills mast.
They said that concerns about the forthcoming wind farm were not relevant to this proposal – as it was just for a single mast.
Officials stressed: “It must be noted that only impacts related to the meteorological mast may be considered.
“Several representations have raised concerns over the potential for a wind farm to be developed at this location; however, this matter is not material to the application at hand.”
Do you think the council was right to approve the plans? Let us know in our comments section below
And council bosses also highlighted the temporary nature of the 120m structure.
They concluded: “The landscape and visual harm associated with the development
would be acceptable given the time-limited period for the proposal.”
A spokesperson for EDF Renewables stressed that they had decreased the number of possible turbines at the site from 14 to 10 following public feedback.
He added: “EDF Renewables UK will be holding a second round of consultation events, which we will be announcing shortly, to provide a further opportunity for the local community to view and importantly provide feedback on the reduced turbine layout.”
You can see the plans for the Correen Hills wind mast here.
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