Moray councillors push for answers amid controversial wind farm proposals in The Cabrach
Moray councillors are set to formally request answers from the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit (ECU) over a controversial application for a wind farm overlooking a “fragile” Moray community.
A special cross-party motion seeks unanimous backing to get to the bottom of a one-year delay to the application which is said to be causing significant anxiety and uncertainty for the remote community of The Cabrach.
Councillor Juli Harris (Speyside Glenlivet, SNP) has tabled the motion which will be debated tomorrow (March 11) in response to growing concerns about the potential impact of the proposed Clashindarroch Extension Wind Farm.
The motion has been seconded by Councillor David Gordon (Speyside Glenlivet, Conservative).
Cllr Harris said: "It's nearly 15 months since the council sent a response to the ECU which raised several concerns about this proposal, and the people who live and work in The Cabrach should be kept better informed about developments that will have a significant impact on their community for decades to come.”
The proposal for Clashindarroch Wind Farm Extension, which consists of 21 wind turbines with a blade tip height of 196 metres, is located within a tactical training area for RAF Lossiemouth.
Despite arguments put forward by the community and councillors against the proposals, in June 2023 Moray Council chose not to lodge an objection, citing the anticipated costs of a public inquiry and a low likelihood of success.
Instead, the council raised around 20 material issues and asked for a number of conditions to be added if consent was granted.
It is currently with Scottish Government ministers via the ECU and has yet to reach a conclusion.
No update has been provided regarding the conditions set by Moray Council.
The motion asks that in light of the time elapsed since the conditions were set, the Head of Economic Growth and Development should write to the ECU to ask if there has been any discussion regarding the local authority’s concerns, and request an update on a timeframe for the application outcome.
Cllr Harris added: “There has been such positive and exciting regeneration here, and further wind farm development could seriously impact that.
“The decision of the Council not to put in a formal objection, was based on a number of conditions being met, yet we still have no feedback from the developer on these to date.
“Onshore wind generation projects need to work with the community that is bearing the reality of massive structures on their doorstep for decades.
“They must ensure that a fair and mutually beneficial balance is made between meeting the national demand for renewable energy alongside the needs of an emerging community in the process of regeneration.”
In the area, there are already 77 operational turbines and a further 21 consented, across four wind farms within a within a 10km radius of The Cabrach.
As well as Clashindarroch Extension, there is a further application for 11 turbines at Craig Watch, plus two scoping applications for a further 85 turbines.
