Planners recommend no objection to revised wind farm plans north-west of Grantown
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Cairngorm National Park Authority planners are recommending that there should be no objection to revised plans for a wind farm north-west of Grantown.
Renewable Energy Systems (Ltd) is seeking consent for 16 turbines with a maximum height of 149.9m to the tip of the blade at Cairn Duhie.
The energy giant already has permission for 20 turbines at 110 metres to tip at the same site which was granted by Scottish Ministers in 2017.
Nina Caudrey, CNPA planning officer, states in planning papers to go before Friday's planning meeting: "The principle of a wind farm at this location has already been established through the consent in 2017 of a different wind farm with the same name which proposed more but smaller turbines.
"The proposed wind farm would be located on the same site as the consented Cairn Duhie wind farm approximately 13.5 kilometres north-west of Grantown."
The development, if approved, would also include approximately 8.3 kilometres of new permanent access tracks as well as other infrastructure and works such as substation, underground cabling and borrow pits.
It is expected that the proposed wind farm would have an estimated total installed capacity of around 67.2MW dependent on the turbine specification used.
The nearest turbine would be around 10 kilometres to the north-west of the closest part of the boundary of the Cairngorms National Park.
The Scottish Government is the determining authority for the application as the output is more than 50 MW.
The planning issues to be considered are confined to the effects of the proposed wind farm on the landscape character and Special Landscape Qualities of the national park.
All other matters such as ecology and noise are assessed by Scottish Ministers with advice from statutory consultees.
