Highland Council renewables map a ‘brilliant starter for ten’ - but ‘needs significant work’
Locals living near various energy proposals have said an interactive map published by Highland Council to show the scale of development across the region is a worthy “starter for ten” but needs “significant work.”
The hope is the map gives communities evidence to fight back against a growing number of renewable projects set to impact their lives.
The 1305 applications on the map plot many of the windfarm, battery storage, hydro and transmission infrastructure projects planned across the Highlands.
The process has been over a year in the making, with Councillor Helen Crawford originally making the case for a cumulative renewable map.
A council executive said the map is “well over 90 per cent accurate” and any mistakes or omissions will be rectified.
Sheila Campbell-Lloyd takes the lead on planning applications for Ardross Community Council.
She called the map a “brilliant starter for ten” and said council planners have undergone a “hell of a task” to get it to this stage.
But she stressed it is “missing significant chunks of infrastructure” and communities could become confused as some displayed information is outdated.
“If the community were to open this map at the moment they would get a false impression of what is happening,” she added.
“Ultimately it will make a difference. It’s in it’s embryonic stage.
“But it needs significant work and we as community councils need to support the council mapping team to make sure this map becomes a real-time mapping system.”
She says developers should be providing more data to allow the council to update the map more efficiently.
Fiona Urquhart lives near to a proposed 400kv substation near Fanellan, and her hope is the map will show the local impact of renewable projects to the wider public.
Mrs Urquhart said: “Getting this [map] put in place isn’t about us, because we are already aware of what’s going on.
“I want the wider public to become aware of what’s going on in the Highlands as a whole.”
She thinks people struggle with tracking projects in their area, and hopes the map will help.
She said people can’t visualise projects “until all these structures are actually built and in place – and at that point it’s too late.”
Both Sheila Campbell-Lloyd and Fiona Urquhart say the scale of the developments in the Highlands are taking their toll on local landscapes.
Mrs Campbell-Lloyd said net zero projects will “take the bonnie out of Scotland because it’s not going to be bonnie – it’s just going to be full of renewables.
“We’re not nimbys, because we’ve already got significant windfarms in our glen, we’re just saying come on people – enough is enough.
“These are generational impacts on historic assets and views.”
Mrs Urquhart hopes the map will give councillors and communities more power to fight the Scottish Government, which decides on major “monstrosity” proposals.
She says the government continues to overrule and grant planning permission in “areas they have never step foot in.”
Aird and Loch Ness councillor Helen Crawford brought forward the proposal for a Highland renewable map last year.
In reaction to the map, she said: “It’s a start and I’m glad it’s there.
“Anyone now looking at that map… it’s a significant number of applications that are listed on it and I think it does give quite a significant overview, it’s quite sobering.”
Cllr Crawford suggested adding more layers to map to include 3D flyovers of proposals.
She says in future, renewable mapping should be available across Scotland and hopes other councils do not need to jump through as many hoops as she did.
Cllr Crawford added: “I would say to anyone who loves the Highlands – write to your councillor and suggest any improvements that you think should be made to it.”
Highland Council assistant chief executive Malcolm Macleod said he estimates the map is “well over 90 per cent accurate” and the staff involved deserve credit for developing it.
Mr MacLeod said: “We were asked to do this, we’ve done it and I think it’ll improve over time.
“If you look at how comprehensive it is at the moment then it is certainly a lot further forward than where we were when had our previous wind-mapping exercise.
“There are odd things that perhaps were miscoded and hadn’t been pulled across… we are making sure these are rectified.”
The map is currently pinned to Highland Council’s homepage and can aso be viewed here
