Highland Council has formally objected to a Sutherland wind farm application that attracted 168 complaints from the public.
Members lined up to raise their concerns about the plan, with not a single councillor expressing their support.
Renewables firm Energiekontor is applying to the Scottish Government to create an 11 turbine wind farm in Strath Oykel.
The application falls under Section 36 legislation because it relates to an onshore wind farm generating more than 50 megawatts of electricity.
Highland Council was invited to comment on the proposal, and planning officials recommended raising no objection.
However, councillors received a deluge of objections from the community and told north planning committee: “We must listen”.
They unanimously passed a motion from councillors Michael Baird and Margaret Paterson to object to the Strath Oykel wind farm plan.
‘Here we go again’
Margaret Paterson opened the debate with an emotionally-charged speech. She told committee local people had a sense of “here we go again” as yet another wind farm was proposed. She said the beautiful area was fast becoming an industrial site.
“People are more important than the companies who want to make money,” said Ms Paterson. “These are people’s beloved homes.”
She added that 168 people had objected to the plans, and highlighted their “deep distress”.
Ms Paterson indicated that she intended to second a motion from local member Mr Baird to object.
While he welcomed the positive contribution of renewables in addressing climate change, Mr Baird said this application was contrary to section 67 of the Highland-wide local development plan. He referenced the detrimental impact on the area, and “the perceived encirclement of communities in Strath Oykel”.
Sutherland councillor Richard Gale brought that image to life, observing: “These turbines are 200 metres in height. Blackpool Tower is 158 metres tall and here we have 11 of them, in some cases less than 1,500 metres from residential properties. We cannot do that.”
Mr Gale spoke of the negative impact on people’s health. “Imagine 35 years of constant noise and flicker on your body, household and community. That is huge.”
Members plea to Scottish Government to listen to locals
Former north planning chairwoman Maxine Smith said in her 15 years with the committee, she had never seen so many objections to a single application.
She said local objections matter most, and she was moved by the strength of feeling expressed.
Earlier in the meeting, members had considered other planning applications from the same renewables firm, Energiekontor.
The developer had asked permission to revise the traffic management plan and access track to another wind farm, Strathrory in Alness.
This too had attracted local objections from Ardoss community council, but the planning committee agreed the plans were acceptable, calling it a “pragmatic” solution to allow work on the wind farm to progress.
However, members did voice concern that large-scale wind farm developments were causing havoc on fragile communities and crumbling rural roads.
Strathrory had been thrown out by council, only to be overturned by the Scottish Government on appeal.
Ms Smith pleaded with the Scottish Government not to repeat that history with Strath Oykel. “We have to listen to what the community wants,” she said.
North planning committee agreed to raise a formal objection to the Strath Oykel plan, which will now be considered by the Scottish Government.
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