Planning Application :
Wathegar 2 Wind Farm, Wathegar, Bilbster, Wick
Proposal Description

Construction of wind farm consisting of nine wind turbines with an overall capacity of 18mw, a height to hub of 60m and a rotor diameter of 80m, associated site access tracks, connection building and associated removal of plantation woodland and habitat restoration.
Planning Application Reference 11/03671/FUL
Deadline for Objections 9th December 2011

Use the following form to submit an objection on-line

Objection Form
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Planning Application

Consent to construct and operate a wind farm at Wathegar, Bilbster, Wick

Planning Application Ref: 11/03671/FUL
   
Please enter your concerns and reasons for objecting in your own words in the text box below. This will ensure that your objection is recognised and counted as an individual objection.
Reasons for Objecting

Please select as many of the items listed below which you consider are also relevant to your objection.

Cumulative Impact

In their response to this application SNH, the Government advisers, state:

"Principally, it would change the existing character of wind farm clusters in relation to the local landscape by:

- contrasting in its layout of wind turbines;

- increasing by a significant degree the complexity of image of wind turbines within the area, both between these and in their relationship to the underlying landscape pattern, and including both turbine overlapping ('stacking up') and gaps;

- 'filling' the gap in-between the Wathegar and Achairn wind farms so that the distinction of wind farm clusters is diminished;

- increasing the sense of imposition on the local residences and key routes within the Watten/Wick River strath including the A882; and

- increasing the overall extent of wind turbines within the area which would collectively dominate the landscape scale.

In this way, our advice is that the proposed Wathegar 2 wind farm does not follow good practice guidance nor satisfy the design objectives set-out in the ES."

These comments alone should ensure that this application is refused.

The developers state that this is an area suitable for "local scale onshore wind developments within HRES2". There are already two "local scale" operational windfarms of 3 turbines each in close proximity to each other as well as Wathegar 1 Windfarm (consented) which, with 5 turbines, is "large scale" in its own right. The addition of 9 turbines at Wathegar 2, an even larger scale windfarm than Wathegar 1, and a further 3 turbines in scoping at Flex Hill, will create the impression of one large windfarm comprising 23 turbines. This is not "local scale" in any meaning of the term.

A windfarm of this size in this location would never have been considered as one application and Wathegar 2 should therefore be refused.

With Camster Windfarm currently under construction, the Wick to Georgemas corridor will appear as a windfarm dominated landscape. The cumulative visual impact of all these windfarms in such close proximity is quite unacceptable.
Residential Amenity

The developers themselves admit that this development has the potential to impose a significant long term detrimental impact on the amenity of people living nearby. NPPG6 and SPP6 both are clear in that if this is the case, then the development shall not be permitted.

Please acknowledge receipt of this objection in writing

 

Please click the Submit button and wait for the next page to download, which returns you to the home page of the web site. A copy of this form has been sent to Director of Planning, Highland Council. If your form has submitted successfully you should receive an emailed auto-response almost immediately containing a copy of your objection. Please make sure that you have received this (also check your spam folder).

Important: this method sometimes generates an error message when the "submit" button is pressed. The problem is likely to be caused by the way the internet service provider you are using has set up the server. Another cause might be software such as a firewall, anti-virus or anti-spyware program running on your computer not allowing the form to be sent as an email. If this happens please return to the objections page, download and complete the form and send it by letter post to ePlanning Centre, The Highland Council, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness IV3 5NX.

Thank you for taking the time to register your concerns about the proposed wind turbine.