The Kintyre Forum

There has recently been a flurry of applications for individual wind turbines. This is no coincidence. If you search on the Council web site at:-

http://publicaccess.argyll-bute.gov.uk/publicaccess/search.do?action=advanced

and put the name Intelligent Land Investments into the applicant name box, you will come up with 22 (at the present count) individual applications for large isolated turbines in open countryside. From this list, you may then click to see details of each application.

These are not individual applications by farmers or landowners for their own personal use as they purport to be. These are 22 commercial wind turbines, effectively an industrial wind farm spread thinly throughout Argyll (mostly in Kintyre), being applied for by "Intelligent Land Investments Ltd", a financial investment company,.

To see the effect of one of these turbines, I have very carefully put together some images, as accurately as I can, of the one nearest to us. You can see these at:-

http://www.collinsclayton.com/OatfieldTurbine.htm

To satisfy the planning constraints, individual wind turbines are required (quoting the local plan, Policy LP REN 2) to be “located as close to the premises which it is intended to serve as is safely and technically possible.” Which these are most definitely not. I haven't looked at all of them, but the ones I have are all in open countryside, well away from the properties they are supposedly serving. Also (quoting local plan Policy LP ENV 1, part C), “All development should protect, restore or where possible enhance the established character and local distinctiveness of the landscape in terms of its location, scale, form and design.” Again, they most certainly do not comply.

We intend to object to every one of these applications and, indeed any other unsuitable applications such as North Beachmore and Creggan and the future and horrendous 9 square mile site proposed on the Slate. The basis for our objection is that they are all too big, and in the wrong places. Our personal opinion is that we are not against wind power as such. We can see two large industrial wind farms from our house. It has its place and we are content to see as many wind turbines and wind farms as are necessary, tucked right up high on the spine of Kintyre (bear in mind though, that we already have 6 times as much wind power output from Kintyre per square mile when compared to Scotland as a whole). But they do need to be kept well back from the coast and areas of panoramic quality (to quote the Council again). That means basically yes to the immediate area around Deucheran and Beinn an Tuirc, but no to our coastal fringes and no to the Mull. Otherwise, in an effort to save our planet, we are simply replacing one form of pollution… with another!

If you agree with this, then please take the time to object. You can do this on the council website by following the public access link (as above) and then clicking on the “Make a Public Comment” button. You will need to supply your name and address for the objection to count (which is well worth it – 10 objectors to a proposal mean a public discussion of the proposal between the Planning Department and the Planning Committee and 20 or more objectors means there has to be a public hearing, in which the public may actually take part)… it’s a numbers game.

You can write your own objections, or you could simply copy and paste the following:-

I object to this application on the grounds that it does not comply with local plan, Policy LP REN 2 as it is not “located as close to the premises which it is intended to serve as is safely and technically possible.” It also does not comply with local plan Policy LP ENV 1, part C “All development should protect, restore or where possible enhance the established character and local distinctiveness of the landscape in terms of its location, scale, form and design.” This proposal is too big within the landscape and in an entirely inapproriate setting and I ask that it be refused.

That’s all it takes!

Thank you for reading this.

An excellent post, John. This spate of applications for individual turbines could have a massive detrimental impact. The problem is that planning policies at present seem to be based on responding to applications for larger-scale wind farms and consequently these individual applications could slip through (which is probably what the developers hope). My worry is that, if they get one through, the next thing will be an application for another single turbine in the same vicinity, and so on. Wind farm development by stealth. The Intelligent Land Investments website makes it clear that the purpose of these applications is to generate subsidy, not electricity.

PS By the way, in case anyone looks at the Council site and sees that I have not yet posted an objection myself, that is because my objection is very detailed - some three pages long - and would not fit in the form. So I have sent it by email instead. It may take a while to appear. Also, please note that the deadlines for any objections to these proposals are fast approaching (the Oatfield and Tomaig ones expire Friday 24th February, for example, and they were only first advertised just over a week ago). Some of the deadlines for other applications have already passed.

Excellent posts from both John and WC1, the Intelligent Land Investments situation is genuinely worrying and the point that further turbine applications on the same sites further down the line is a real one. With regard to the North Beachmore Turbine, the infrastructure costs alone, in my mind, don't add up for a single turbine at that location. So the possibility of further permissions sought in the future seems almost guaranteed. Is there any mileage in trying to hold a public meeting in the meantime to garner support for objections to these applications or is the window of opportunity too short. We are embarking on a door to door canvas of the local communities around North Beachmore to sign up as many as possible to committing to sending in objections.

Following the flurry of activity in turbine applications in Kintyre and the obvious interest / concern in the area (as judged by the hits the threads are getting). I thought it might be a good idea to try to compile a list of existing and proposed turbine sites /applications in the area and put them on one website.
I have started, but need your support to complete the list and keep it accurate. Have a look at;
http://www.kintyreturbinewatch.webs.com/
and have a look!
If you can help, then please use the Contact Us page on the website withe any information or even ideas..
With thanks

Another four planning applications have been made by Intelligent Land Investments of Hamilton, the latest two at High Dalrioch and Calliburn. That makes a total of 26 from this financial investment company now with three in a row at Calliburn:-


All of them at this size:-


... and all of them made in the Canaries. Campbeltown certainly is destined to be a renewables hub - for imports.

The latest information from the Planning Office indicates that there will be well in excess of a hundred of these by the time they have finished.

If these are allowed to go ahead, I fear that there will not be a corner of Argyll that you will be able to visit without being subjected to a backdrop of at least one, industrial sized turbine.

its not just Argyll...
Published on Wednesday 4 January 2012 09:56
Applications lodged for wind turbines in the Kincardine and Mearns area have been withdrawn.
The applications were all lodged in October for single 51m to blade tip wind turbines in eight different locations between Netherley and Laurencekirk.
All of the applications were lodged by Andrew Hughes of Intelligent Land Investments and used the agent the Waterman Group.
http://www.kincardineshireobserver.co.u ... _1_2028604

Turbine application
Published on Tuesday 28 February 2012 10:51

AN application to build a wind turbine in Netherley has been re-submitted to Aberdeenshire Council.

The application by Intelligent Land Investments was previously lodged at the end of last year along with plans for seven other single wind turbines between Netherley and Laurencekirk. However, at the end of December the eight planning applications which were for turbines of 51 metres in height were withdrawn.
The applicant withdrew the applications and in a letter to the planning department made their intention to re-apply with smaller turbines clear.

The first of the applications has now been re-submitted to the local authority for a single wind turbine on land to the West of Ambleside, Netherley.

A change has been made to the planning application and the proposed turbine’s height has been revised. The application is now for one 225kW Wind Turbine, Height to Hub 32.4 Metres, Total Height to Tip 46.9 Metres and Formation of Temporary Access Track.
A spokesman for the agent acting on behalf on Intelligent Land Investments explained that this change had been made as the smaller turbine will be more “efficient.”

It can now be expected that the other seven applications will be re-submitted in the coming months and will got through the planning process.

The revised applications will have a different consultation than the previous applications.

As the new application is for turbines less than 50 metres in height, an environmental report or environmental impact assessment will not need to be carried out.

Environmental reports are only required for turbines which are of a height greater then 50 metres. The reports are used predict the effects on landscape, wildlife, noise and water sources, etc.
http://www.mearnsleader.co.uk/news/loca ... _1_2133535