Controversial Caithness wind farm plans will be outlined at meeting on Monday

PLANS for a controversial wind farm on the outskirts of Thurso will be outlined at a meeting next week.

A Proposal of Application Notice(PAN) will be presented to Highland Council's North Planning Applications Committee on Monday.

The PAN is a statutory requirement for planning applications for major or national developments and has to be lodged at least 12 weeks prior to the submission of a planning application.

The developer, RES, carried out an online public consultation in January and will carry out an in-person second public consultation in the spring or early summer, the committee will be told.

The company wants to build five turbines, each with a maximum tip height of up to 138.5 metres, at Cairnmore Hill, south-east of the schoolhouse at Forss, near Thurso. The wind farm would produce 21 megawatts of electricity.

A previous application for eight turbines at the same site was turned down by the local authority.

A report before the committee recommends that it notes the submission of the PAN and "advises of any material issues it wishes to be brought to the applicant’s attention."

Opponents of the project claim it will be "a blot on the landscape" and would be seen from many parts of Caithness and Orkney but RES says the wind farm would create over £10 million in business rates and inward investment. The company claims the new proposal addresses some of the concerns previously raised and will provide a range of social, economic and environmental benefits to the local area.

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