10 turbine Caithness wind farm approved by Scottish Government despite Highland Council objection
A wind farm south-west of John O'Groats has been approved by the Scottish Government despite objections from Highland Council and others.
ScottishPower Renewables has won approval to erect 10 wind turbines capable of generating around 50MW of electricity at Hollandmey Renewable Energy, 8km south-west of John O'Groats and 16km east of Thurso. The turbines will stand almost 160m to the tip.
The site will also house around 15MW of solar panels, and 15MW of battery energy storage.
Highland Council had objected over the "significantly detrimental visual impact, both individually and cumulatively" with existing onshore wind farms in the area.
READ MORE: Proposed energy project in north-east Caithness will have mix of wind and solar power
They also raised concerns over the impact on the sweeping moorland flows landscape of the area, and on the impact of the windfarm "on the integrity of the Dunnet Head Special Landscape Area".
There were also objections from Thurso Community Council - citing the impact on the landscape and size of the turbines - and Caithness Bird Club, over the potential impact on geese and swan populations using the Caithness lochs.
NatureScot, Historic Environment Scotland (HES), and RSPB Scotland had also all initially objected, but withdrew these after being provided with further information, subject to conditions and mitigation measures being attached to the development before approval was granted.
Granting approval the government reporter acknowledged the flat and open landscape meant the turbines would be visible “over very long distances” but believed that “visual effects over distances greater than 10.2 km would not be significant because of the scale of the landscape”.
They added: “The effect of the turbines would be further diminished… because the proposed development would be seen as part of a larger turbine grouping with the existing and consented wind farms at Lochend, Stroupster and Slickly.”
“Whilst I consider that the landscape and visual effects would predominantly be localised, I do recognise that the greatest impacts would be on sensitive receptors on a promoted scenic tourist route and at a geographically significant position at the northernmost part of mainland Britain.
“However, [policy guidelines are] clear that it is only within National Parks and National Scenic Areas where wind farm developments are categorically unacceptable.”
They continued: “Ultimately, the adverse landscape and visual effects must be balanced against the benefits of the proposed development that I have outlined above, taking into account the significant and meaningful contribution that Hollandmey Renewable Energy Development 51 would make to the national target of delivering 20GW of onshore wind energy generation by 2030.
“On balance I consider that the strong updated national policy support for onshore wind energy, and the significant contribution that the proposal would make toward tackling the climate crisis and achieving Scotland’s ambitious environmental goals, adds significant weight in favour of the proposed development.
“I consequently find that the combined benefits of the proposed development would outweigh the significant landscape and visual effects and the minor residual effects to the Castle of Mey and its associated designed landscape that have been identified.”
