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Lochelbank wind
farm, proposed by
Npower
Renewables has been approved by the
Executive following a lengthy enquiry. Originally rejected by Perth and
Kinross Council. There were hundreds of objections.
The Scottish Executive's
Karen Heywood conceded the Lochelbank wind farm would have a "significant
adverse effect on local environmental quality". She also admitted there
would be an "adverse impact" on the locally and nationally important
neolithic Cairn Geddes Monument, sited in what will be the shadow of the
wind farm.
Ms Heywood added "It is the only conflict with the policy that I have
identified and I do not consider this conflict alone is sufficient to
render
the proposed development environmentally unacceptable, although it would
have a significant adverse effect on local environmental quality. In this
case, I conclude that the energy contribution and reduction in emissions
that would result from the construction of the Lochelbank wind farm is
sufficient to outweigh the detrimental impact on the setting of Cairn
Geddes
Ancient Monument".
Note that there is an admittance here that there will be "detrimental
impact" on the Monument's setting.
Lochelbank lies about 3.5 km northwest of Glenfarg and 10 km south of
Perth
to the west of the M90 on 187 hectare site of upland pasture and moorland.
An area of coniferous forest known as Hill Wood will have to be cleared to
make way for the wind farm. Construction is
anticipated to take around 10
months.
The Executive found "quite extensive" areas will have views of the dozen
91
metre tall turbines once they are built.
91 metres is around 300 feet tall. Aye, three hundred!
As for "quite
extensive" that has got to be the understatement of all time. If you check
out the part in Rex Pictorum that deals with
King Gede you will get some
idea of the kind of area from where you will be able to see this wind
farm.
E.g. Fife, Angus, north and south Perthshire, the Pentland hills away to
the
south, the City of Dundee and other huge expanses of Scotland will be able
to see this concrete monstrosity. And buried in the middle of it all will
be
one of Scotland's ancient burial grounds.
The Australian Aborigines wouldn't tolerate this. Neither would the Native
Americans.
AND NEITHER SHOULD WE!
Email Enpower
here
Email The Scottish
Executive here
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