Concerns raised following Giant’s Burn met mast installation

WORK has finished on installing a temporary meteorological mast at the proposed Giants Burn Wind Farm site near Dunoon, but the development has drawn criticism from a local campaign group concerned about impacts on peatland.
Renewable energy developer Statkraft confirmed on-site works were under way earlier in April.
The temporary met mast, approved by Argyll and Bute Council in August last year, stands up to 120 metres high near the north-eastern boundary of the proposed wind farm site and could remain in place for up to four years gathering wind resource data.
Statkraft assured this newspaper that only works relating to the mast installation had been undertaken.
However, campaign group Save Cowals Hills has raised concerns about how the work was carried out, alleging damage to peatland at the site.
A representative for the group claimed displaced peat and deep ruts caused by machinery were visible during a visit last week and questioned whether planning conditions relating to access arrangements were being followed.
The group said one condition required the final 486 metres to the site — beyond the existing access track — to be traversed using specialist lightweight vehicles, with bogmats used where indicated to minimise impacts on the Class 2 peatland habitat.
Campaigners claim no bogmats were evident during the visit and say concerns have been raised with NatureScot.
The group also said some nearby residents had expressed concerns over access arrangements and said they had not been advised in advance that works were commencing.
In a statement, Statkraft explained that the use of bog mats was an example of mitigation that could have been utilised and that brash matting was used at points, as well as moving materials that were previously laid down by the landowner.
A Statkraft spokesperson said: “We are pleased to have completed the work on the installation of the temporary met mast, which will help gather important wind resource data.
If consented, Giants Burn Wind Farm will generate enough home-grown, clean electricity to power the equivalent of around 58,000 Scottish households per year. It will also provide a significant community benefit fund for local projects and initiatives, worth approximately £12.5 million for the lifetime of the project.”
The Giants Burn proposal has generated debate locally, with supporters pointing to renewable energy benefits and opponents raising concerns over landscape and environmental impacts.