Partnerships for Renewables has been granted consent on appeal to build a six-turbine wind farm at Camilty in the Central Belt of Scotland.
Government officials overturned local authority rejection of the 20.4MW project, which was handed down by West Lothian in February last year largely on the grounds of visual and landscape impacts.
Camilty will feature tip heights of 132 metres and hardware of up to 3.4MW.
The DPEA reporter said: “I find that the proposal conflicts with certain policies of the development plan, primarily due to the adverse individual and cumulative landscape and visual effects it would introduce within a relatively small radius of the site
“However I conclude that these effects would not cause unacceptable harm and . . . I have had regard to the contribution the proposal would make to renewable energy targets and its effect on greenhouse gas emissions.”
PfR is pursuing Camilty as part of its tie-up with Forestry Commission Scotland in the Lothians and Borders. It is the second consent under the partnership.
PfR regional manager Alan Mathewson said: “We are absolutely delighted the reporter has given Camilty the go-ahead after his detailed review of the project.”
Stuart Chalmers of FCS said: “We are pleased that National Forest Estate will be the home for this development which will contribute to the Scottish government’s ambitious renewable energy and climate change targets.”
Image: a PfR wind farm project south of the border (PfR)
