Fallago Rig wind monitors approved
DELAYS in a final decision on whether planning permission should be granted for a 48 turbine wind farm at Fallago Rig, Longformacus, mean that the planning permission for the two temporary anemometer wind monitoring masts currently on the site, expired in September.
North British Windpower Ltd have put in a new application to extend the time the temporary 50m masts can continue in situ and earlier this week Scottish Borders Council's planning and building standards committee agreed to a one year extension.
There were 12 letters opposing the planning application, including Cranshaws, Ellemford and Longformacus who objected on the following grounds: they are detrimental to the visual impact in relation to the Area of Great Landscape Value; and adequate data relating to wind speed is likely to have been collected already.
The wind farm itself was the subject of a public inquiry in February 2008. The Reporter's findings were only made public last month, 21 months later, and since the original inquiry the Ministry of Defence have withdrawn their objections prompting the Scottish Government to agree to re-open the inquiry to hear new evidence from the MoD and further evidence from objectors who argue that the cumulative impact of additional wind turbines in the area should be taken into account.
Planning officer, John Hiscox accepted that the wind farm application is "clearly connected to the proposal for these anemometers, but the applications for anemometry masts must be considered on their own individual merits, albeit acknowledging that there is no decision on the proposal for wind turbines at the site".
"It is accepted that both singly, and cumulatively there is a visual impact associated with the installation of temporary anemometry masts.
However, because of their slender and generally transparent nature, such visual impact is limited and therefore tolerable as long as it would be temporary. It is also considered that such masts, although they may be retained for a number of years, are by their construction and usefulness not designed to become permanent structures.
"At some stage, therefore, whether because they are superseded by any wind farm development, replaced by other structures or dismantled and removed because wind farm development will no longer take place, they will be removed from their sites. The proposal to extend the temporary planning permission is therefore considered to be reasonable in the light of the above information."
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Weather for Duns
Thursday 17 May 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 5 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North east
