THERE HAS been “an exceptionally high” public interest in the proposed development of the Giant’s Burn Wind Farm north-west of Dunoon.
More than 500 objections have already been recorded and published on the Energy Concerns Unit (ECU) website.
This week Dunoon Councillor William Sinclair can reveal a further 443 objections have yet to be uploaded to the site, taking the total to 961.
Councillor Sinclair told this newspaper: “That is a huge number, and I have said it before, it represents one of the most objected wind farms in Scotland.”
He added: “The responses may represent the largest- ever number of objections to any planning application anywhere in Scotland.” Councillor Sinclair said he is unhappy that all of the submissions are not yet visible publicly.
But the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Gillian Martin, said: “Each submission must be individually reviewed and redacted, where necessary, to ensure that personal data is not published online in contravention of data protection requirements. This manual process can take some time, but it is essential to ensure compliance with legal obligations.”
William Sinclair said it wouldn’t be so tardy if Argyll and Bute Council was the planning authority on this: “Whilst I understand each submission must be individually reviewed and redacted where necessary, however they are a fully funded Scottish Government body and should never be so far behind. This would have not happened if Argyll and Bute Council were the Planning Authority.”
In a letter to the councillor, the minister noted: “Officials have confirmed that at the time of writing this letter, the number of objection letters to be published is 443. Officials will continue to prioritise the processing and publication of the remaining objections as quickly as possible.
“Once this information is confirmed, it will be made available through the ECU website. I would like to assure you that all representations received (whether or not they have yet appeared online) are logged by the ECU and will be fully taken into account before any decision is made on the application.”
The minister confirmed: “The ECU has received an exceptionally large volume of representations in relation to this application.”
In Scottish planning procedure, there is no specific number of objections required to stop a planning application. The decision is based on the quality and validity of the objections, not the quantity. While a large number of objections may lead to more consideration or a committee meeting, five-10 well-reasoned objections can often be enough to influence an outcome, especially if these are focused on planning policy.
The company behind the proposed development of Giant’s Burn Wind Farm is Statkraft, Europe’s largest renewable energy producer. The site would have up to seven turbines, five of them with a maximum blade tip height of 200m and two with a maximum blade tip height of 180m.
The number of turbines and the height has been reduced following engagement during the scoping process and following feedback from public exhibitions.
