24 Oct 2024
A second preliminary meeting for Greystone Knowe Wind Farm was held earlier this month to discuss when the inquiry will be held and how key issues would be addressed.
The meeting has been reported by Paul Kelly for Midlothian View which is available below and here.
Crucial decision on windfarm expected before the end of this month
A crucial decision on the future of a proposed Scottish Borders wind farm is expected before the end of the month after a preliminary meeting was held.
A public local inquiry was triggered earlier this year after members of Scottish Borders Council’s Planning and Building Standards Committee formally objected to the proposed 14-turbine Greystone Knowe Wind Farm, earmarked for land around 2km south of Heriot and 2.5km west of Fountainhall.
The turbines would have maximum tip heights of 180 metres.
By a majority of four to two the objection was rubber-stamped due to concerns over the “significantly adverse impact” on the environment.
Because of the scale of the wind farm, the final decision on approval lies with the Scottish Government’s Energy Consent Unit (ECU).
A public inquiry conducted by a Reporter from the Scottish Government’s Division of Planning and Environment Appeals was scheduled following the decision in March this year by the council’s planning committee to object to the scheme against their officers’ advice.
A second preliminary meeting was held by the Reporter earlier this month to discuss when the inquiry may be held and how key issues would be addressed.
The Ministry of Defence has also objected to the application citing the fact that the proposed wind farm site lies within the safeguarding zone of the Eskdalemuir Seismological Array (ESA), a monitoring station which is one of the UK’s primary assets for tracking underground nuclear tests and earthquakes worldwide.
Wind farms are not currently permitted within 50 kilometres of the ESA but a consultation is underway to explore whether or not the extent of the safeguarding zone for the ESA may be reduced, a decision that rests on complex science and technology.
In the case of Greystone Knowe, due to its location within the safeguarding zone, there is concern regarding the adverse vibration effects of the proposed wind turbines on the ESA.
At the recent preliminary meeting, Heriot Community Council and other local businesses, argued that in view of the fact that the MoD objects and Scottish Government does not currently permit wind farms within the 50k zone, a recommendation could be made to Ministers that the application should be refused.
However, the developers argued that an inquiry could go ahead and, if they were successful on all other issues, they would agree not to build the windfarm until the MoD policy changed. This is called the use of a “suspensive condition”.
The problem here is that no-one knows when that will happen but the signs are it won’t be any time soon.
A working group to look at this specific issue was set up years ago and there has been little sign of progress. The difficulty with proceeding on this basis is that it is asking for approval for a wind farm on the assumption that a long-established barrier may disappear sometime in the future.
The upshot is that it places all interested parties in a difficult position and leads to continued uncertainty.
The developers must hope that a change in MoD policy may not be too far over the horizon.
Meanwhile, those in the local community against the scheme are frustrated over the fact that an MoD objection which is in line with Scottish Ministers’ current position should lead to the application being dismissed as soon as possible.
The Reporter will report before the end of month on her recommendations for the way forward.
Read the article on Midlothian View: https://www.midlothianview.com/news/crucial-decision-on-windfarm-expected-before-the-end-of-this-month