By Mark Mackay

A HIGHLAND PERTHSHIRE community could be studded with wind farms following a surprise reversal by government ministers, a local councillor has claimed.

A decision on plans for the 14-turbine Logiealmond wind farm was to have been determined in conjunction with the larger 27-turbine Calliacher wind farm application.

That would have enabled consideration of the cumulative effect of one or both on Strathbraan, an area in which plans have been cleared for Scotland’s third largest wind farm at Griffin Forest near Aberfeldy.

Now, however, Perth and Kinross Council has received notification from the Scottish Government that the decision has been reversed.

The Logiealmond proposal will now be decided by delegated authority.

The Scottish Government said only, “The reason for this direction is that there is no longer any need to consider this proposal jointly with the appeal in relation to the Calliacher wind farm proposal and it is considered that this appeal should now be determined by an appointed person rather than by Scottish ministers.”

Strathtay councillor Barbara Vaughan fears that the Scottish Government has declared the area fair game for development after revoking their earlier decision—and accused ministers of disregarding the concerns of residents.

“Many of us were heartened when we received the news, in April, that the appeals for the Calliacher wind farm and the Logiealmond wind farm would be decided jointly by Scottish ministers,” she said.

“This seemed to make a lot of sense, since the total impact of both potential developments on those living in Strathbraan and on their businesses could be looked at objectively.

“Unfortunately we now have the SNP ministers revoking this decision and retaining the decision on Calliacher in their hands, but handing over the decision for Logiealmond to delegated authority.”

“It would seem that the arguments, that have been made by the people living in the area about the possible cumulative negative impact of wind farms on their lives have fallen on deaf ears.”

She added, “These arguments were made tellingly by them to both the recent Calliacher wind farm inquiry and the previous Griffin wind farm inquiry.

“This looks suspiciously like Holyrood ministers deciding that once the area has had the 68 turbines of the Griffin wind farm foisted on them then the area is fair game for as many more turbines as possible.

“This is even more puzzling since the implications in several recent ministerial statements from Holyrood point to the increased importance of off-shore wind farms and wave power in renewable energy generation.

“I will be making strong representations to the Logiealmond Wind Farm Inquiry in August that, despite the ministerial decision to decide these applications separately, it is imperative that the cumulative impact of the two wind farms should be of prime importance in any decision.”