Public to have say on windfarms proposals

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Small developments make important contribution

HIGHLAND COUNCIL, in recognition of the demand and potential of small-scale wind turbine developments has produced Draft Supplementary Guidance and now wishes to consult over the proposals.
Chairman of the PED committee, Councillor Ian Ross said: “The development of small-scale renewables, particularly of wind generators, can make a significant contribution to meeting energy needs at a local level. There is currently a great deal of interest in such developments and we are handling large numbers of proposals for single turbines or small arrays”.
Councillor Ross continued: “As there is limited national guidance available, our officers have prepared Draft Supplementary Guidance to the Highland wide Local Development Plan. As well as contributing to our commitments regarding the production of development plans, the promotion of the energy sector and encouraging installed capacity of renewable energy, the Guidance is aimed at harnessing appropriate opportunities and helping applicants.”
He said:“This consultation exercise provides an inclusive and objective approach to the development of clear, fair and robust planning guidance which will inform planning decisions on small-scale wind turbine proposals. Small-scale developments by their nature tend to be located closer to where people live and work and their impact on the locality can be significant. We want to ensure any concerns people have are addressed at an early stage and it is important that we are consistent and clear in our approach. The Supplementary Guidance will be pivotal in shaping how we manage developments for electricity generation on a small scale in the future.”
The next stage is that technical bodies, the renewables industry, the Scottish Government and the public will be given the opportunity to give their feedback on the draft guidance and a further report will be brought back to the PED Committee for consideration.