Andrew Dunnett maintains that it will be far enough back that it will not have an adverse effect on the dunes environment.

Mr Dunnett, of Auchorn, Lyth, told the Caithness Courier yesterday that negotiations were at a very early stage. He said that two wind farm developers have been in touch with him expressing an interest in an area north of the Subsea 7 fabrication yard at Wester, stretching from the A99 to land behind the dunes.

The retired farmer stressed that a final decision was some way off, but made the point that he is no longer working and depends on his land to provide an income. He admitted that he is no great fan of wind turbines but said that "everyone has to make a pound", particularly in the current recession.

Mr Dunnett has agreed to lease a new area of the sand dunes to Caithness contractor John Gunn & Sons for sand excavation.

Removal from another Sinclair's Bay location was suspended in February after Keiss couple Roy and Carol Place launched a campaign claiming that a 150-yard section of dunes north of the fabrication yard had been damaged by excessive sand excavation, and an overhang made it unsafe. The couple maintained it was an accident waiting to happen and an unsuspecting walker could end up being buried alive. It was subsequently discovered that the firm was continuing to remove sand even though its five-year lease granted by the Highland Council had expired two years previously, and that it appeared to have breached two conditions.

It is expected that the company will submit a fresh application relating to a different location later in the year to the area planning committee, which will also consider objections from Mr and Mrs Place, and other residents.

Commenting on the possibility of a wind farm development in the area, Mrs Place said that it would have to be proved "beyond all doubt" that the wind turbines would not damage the dunes or the environment before she could begin to consider the development as acceptable.

She said she would be keeping a close watch on the situation.

"Personally, I would prefer the turbines to be sited out at sea instead of on dry land," she explained.

"I would have thought that bird-nesting colonies behind the dunes would be adversely affected.

"The area is also popular with hooper swans and greylag geese heading for Wester Loch."

Mrs Place explained that the announcement of a possible wind farm in the area did not come as a surprise.

She said: "A few years ago Mr Dunnett told me that he had been approached by developers who wanted to buy land for a hotel and casino complex on the shores of Sinclair's Bay and nothing came of it."

Mr and Mrs Place, who live at Beach Cottage, South Keiss, this week rejected claims by Mr Dunnett that windblow was partly to blame for the damage to the dunes.

Mrs Place said that the extraction of sand over the years by Gunn's and other contractors had weakened the dunes. She claimed that "greed seemed to have prevailed over environmental considerations" and pointed out that part of the dunes area in question had collapsed.

Mrs Place added that she had not checked progress on the petitions she had circulated requesting local people to support her objections and calling on councillors to refuse the contractor's new application, but estimated that it must have topped 1000 signatures.

Mr Dunnett revealed yesterday that he had launched his own petition but was unable to say how many people had signed it. He told the Courier: "My son Gordon is handling it."

The Highland Council's area planning team leader, Iain Ewart, said that he was awaiting proposals from Gunn's regarding the reinstatement of the controversial section of the dunes, in accordance with the authority's previous excavation consent, and receipt of a fresh application.

Once that was received it would be submitted, along with representations from the various parties, to the planning committee.

John Gunn & Sons has never commented on the issue but Mr Ewart previously stated that he had met the firm's boss, David Gunn, who was "very co-operative".

n.donaldson@nosn.co.uk

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