Extreme Veteran
Posts: 319
| Bright Energy is a 3 turbine wind farm application the money for which was a legacy of a local lady and it would contribute about £35,000 p.a. to the local community. It was rejected by Highland Council due to the 'visual impact' but there is now an appeal.
There are some very extensive photo-montages here
http://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/Documents/qA346485/A5579248.pdf
I really don't think this has much of a visual impact except close up at the actual farm, and they are the ones doing the application.
The oil rigs which are a regular feature of the landscape are much more intrusive, environmentally damaging and the local community have no say about them.
The whole thing seems to have been taken over by a very vocal anti group including many from outside the area, who have failed to consider the prospect of clean energy and money for the community, which I think is a huge shame.
You can email the appeals panel DPEA@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.
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Veteran
Posts: 275
| It's worth having a look at the Community Council submission on the appeal, http://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/Documents/qA346485/A5666974.pdf. It's clear that a high proportion of the folk in Cromarty are opposed to the development, and presumably that's why the original application was rejected. Looking through the comments from the CC survey, a lot of folk clearly have a very entrenched position on turbines, firmly believing things that really aren't true (comments re. noise, impact on tourism, etc.). This is tricky - obviously people are entitled to their views, and should be consulted, but there's always going to be a strong bias against any change.
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