WHEN Nicola Sturgeon rages that any attempt to stop Indyref2 would be anti-democratic, she should look in the mirror. The SNP government has repeatedly waved through ministerial approval for major windfarm developments that have been rejected by local councils. The latest looming illustration of this determined effort to overrule local democracy involves the bid to construct a windfarm at Strathy Wood in Sutherland. The proposal by the German multinational energy company RWE to erect 13 giant industrial turbines, each 180 metres high to blade tip, has come under fire from local objectors and has been refused planning approval by Highland Council. The SNP government passed legislation enabling it to call-in applications for windfarms that have an installed capacity greater than 50 mw.
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The north coast of Sutherland is in danger of hosting an unprecedented “wall of turbines” if proposed wind farms are added to existing and approved ventures, a public local inquiry heard.
The probe is into RWE Renewables UK’s planning application to build and operate 13 turbines eight kilometres south of Strathy.
The Strathy Wood site lies between SSE’s 33 turbine development at Strathy North and its 39-turbine Strathy South scheme, which has approval.
Among the objectors is Wildlife, the nature conservation company bankrolled by Danish billionaire landowner Anders Povlsen.
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