Cairngorms National Park planners recommend objection to proposed wind farm in Monadhliath
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Cairngorms National Park Authority planning committee members are being recommended to object to a wind farm in the Monadhliath because of the visual impact it would have combined with existing turbines.
SSE Generation is applying for a lower number of turbines at the proposed Cloiche wind farm.
The original application submitted in April 2020 was for a wind farm comprising of 36 turbines but the energy firm is now proposing 29.
Members of the CNPA's planning committee will consider their stance on the application tomorrow when they meet online.
The site is split into two clusters of turbines, adjoining the west and eastern ends of the existing Stronelairg wind farm in the Monadhliath.
The Cloiche turbines will have a maximum height of 149.9m to the tip of the blade with seven turbines in the eastern cluster and 22 in the western cluster.
Around 29 kilometres of upgraded existing track as well as 26 kilometres of new track would also be required as part of the development.
Other associated infrastructure and works would include a substation, underground cabling, borrow and pits.
It is expected that the wind farm would have an estimated total installed capacity of around 150MW dependent on the turbine specification used.
The nearest turbine of the eastern cluster would be around 1.4 kilometres to the north of the closest part of the boundary of the Cairngorms National Park.
NatureScot has concluded that whilst there would be some significant effects where Cloiche would add to the effects of Stronelairig, the effects on the character and special landscape qualities of the national park would be slightly reduced as a result of the revised proposal.
However, CNPA planners are recommending that its planning committee should object to the development.
They said the new turbines would "undoing the mitigation that was put in place as part of the Stronelairg application to secure this containment" and would "encroach significantly on some of the landscape character, special landscape qualities and people’s experience of these".
CNPA planning manager Emma Bryce states in her recommendation to object: "The proposal would have significant adverse effects in addition to the existing Stronelairg wind farm... particularly because it would appear from many sensitive areas to significantly add to the extent and proximity of the Stronelairg wind farm and perceived encroachment.
"The addition of Cloiche would have significant adverse effects on the several special landscape qualities and landscape character of the park, adding to the existing level of effects in some areas and introducing new effects in others."
The Scottish Government will be the determining authority for the application as the output of the proposed wind farm is more than 50 MW.
