Grantown wind farm planners 'Gambled and lost' say campaigners

Anti-wind farm campaigners are celebrating last night's announcement that a plan for a 17-turbine wind farm on a historic beauty spot north of Grantown has been rejected.

As the Strathy announced earlier, the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit have refused the controversial application lodged by Fred.Olsen Renewables to develop an area near Lochindorb on the Dava Moor.

This afternoon Graham Lang of Scotland Against Spin celebrated: "This is an excellent result."

He told the Strathy: "Although the council did lodge an objection, the developers had refused to extend the time allowed for their response beyond a previously agreed date.

"This meant that the Inquiry which would have been triggered by the objection was no longer automatic.

"However, despite the significant support assigned by National Planning Framework 4 to this national development, it was abundantly clear that no Inquiry was necessary as it was so obviously the wrong development in the wrong place."

Mr Lang added: "The developer may now be wondering if their decision not to allow longer for the council to make a response was the right one.

"They gambled and they lost!"

The company has been asked for a response to the decision.

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