MEALL BUIDHE WIND FARM

Guidance notes for individuals to object to Muirden Energy’s new planning application of July 2025

for changes to the original planning consent

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

In September 2020 Muirden Energy applied to the Highland Council, to build the Meall Buidhe wind farm comprising 9 turbines (later reduced to 8), each 149.5 metres high to the blade tip. The windfarm is on land owned by the Croick Estate and is situated 3km south west of Rosehall and on the west side of the Kyle of Sutherland opposite Altass on the forward slope. There is no landform in the area to provide screening so almost every property in Altass and many in Rosehall and the whole surrounding district will be visually affected by the turbines. Due to their height, they will also be visible from the Struie Hill “Millionaires viewpoint” and from as far away as Dornoch.

The development, which was objected to by a substantial number of individual objectors in Sep / Oct 2020, was refused by Highland Council in June 2022 following which Muirden appealed, resulting in a Public Inquiry led by a Scottish government Reporter. This proved to be an unusual inquiry because there was no formal public meeting (as per the 2-3 days for Strath Oykel) and the Reporter just went round the area talking to a few people and seeing the lie of the land. The result was that the Reporter recommended that it be approved, which was not anticipated locally, and in June 2023 the Scottish government minister gave it the go- ahead.

2025 APPLICATION BY MUIRDEN ENERGY FOR CHANGES TO CONSENT

Despite being consented in June 2023, the developer has failed to make a start on the project, one of the reasons being that currently they have no means of access to the site. However, they are quoting the lack of a Grid connection, though that is always a separate issue to the planning consent. Because one of the planning conditions states that they must start the development no later that three years from the date of planning permission (June 2023), they are now obviously concerned that they are running out of time.

Hence they have just put in a planning application to Highland Council for a change to two of the conditions. Their application seeks to vary two conditions.

FIRSTLY: AN EXTENSION OF PLANNING CONSENT

Condition 1 states: “The development to which this permission relates shall be begun not later than the expiration of three years beginning with the date of grant of this permission”. The Applicant seeks to extend this by a further three years, so that the planning permission will not lapse until 14 June 2029. This is to account for a delayed grid connection date. Also to prevent wind turbines being erected but static for extended periods of time, and to avoid extra disruption as a result of an extended period of construction, commencement of development would be delayed until closer to the possible commissioning date as dictated by grid capacity.

SECONDLY: AN INCREASE OF TURBINE BLADE DIAMETER

Condition 6(iv) states: No turbines shall be erected until details of the proposed wind turbines have been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the planning authority. These details shall include: …iv. The maximum blade diameter on each turbine no greater than 115 metres[.] The Applicant seeks to vary the maximum blade diameter allowed to 117m. This is due the market availability of machines which has changed since permission was granted.

THE DEVELOPERS ARGUMENT REGARDING IMPACT

They argue that there will be no increase in the maximum output of the scheme (4.3MW per turbine) due to the change in turbine dimensions and make the following points:

  • LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL The developer considers that there is negligible change from the consented scheme.

  • NOISE A new noise assessment has been carried out and although there is a change in the noise impacts, these are considered to be not significant and compliant with current noise conditions.

GUIDANCE FOR MAKING INDIVIDUAL OBJECTIONS TO THIS APPLICATION

• Anyone can object or comment on this application to vary the conditions.

• You need not have objected to the original Meall Buidhe proposal back in September 2020.

• Please note that the official deadline for receipt of your objection is Thursday 31st July, though if it arrives after this date it will still be valid and considered, though termed non-timeous.

The essential headings for a letter of objection by post or by email are shown below:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------From: * your name [BLOCK CAPITALS] * Your Full Address + *postcode

To * ePlanning Centre, The Highland Council, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX. * Date

[* denotes essential information even by e-mail.]

“Objection to the application by Muirden Energy to vary conditions on Meall Buidhe wind farm - Reference 25/02312/ S42”

  [you should quote this heading on letters and on e-mails]

I wish to object to the proposed application by Muirden Enegy to vary two of the planning conditions on Meall Buidhe.

  *Add your objections here (for examples see below) plus evidence you feel maybe relevant to them

* Signed (Name typed)

Email objections must be sent to: eplanning@highland.gov.uk

Please make every effort to write now, as the more letters / e-mails of objection received the better. Note that joint letters from one household or a petition of many signatures only count as one objection; so, if you have several people at your address wishing to object, please ask them to send a separate letter or e-mail. If you have only one e-mail for the residence, one person can use that, and the others must write by letter.

Some of the key matters and points on which you may choose to object

1. Points to counter Muirden Energy’s application for an Extension to the date of commencement from current June 2026 to 14 June 2029.

• Muirden Energy, the developer, originally applied for planning in September 2020 and they are now asking for a date of commencement of work to be extended to June 2029. That will be nine years that this has been hanging over the local community, which is unreasonable and much too long for any community to have to put up with. The date should remain unchanged at June 2026.

• Muirden Energy say that the reason for a failure to commence the project is to account for a delay to a Grid connection date. Yet in this application they fail to give a date for a connection, indicating that they may not even have one by June 2029. They should therefore be obliged to keep to the June 2026 deadline.

• Muirden Energy blame the failure to commence the project on a delay to the Grid connection, though perhaps another and more pertinent reason not mentioned is the continuing lack of suitable access to the site.

• If this development is given a three-year extension, there will be others seeking similar extensions. It proves the point that a Grid connection and proven access should be part of the initial planning application.

2. Points to counter an increase in the blade diameter

• Landscape and Visual Impact. Whilst Muirden Energy say that it is considered that there is negligible change from the consented scheme from a landscape and visual aspect, it is inevitable that, with larger diameter turbine blades, there will be a deterioration. Prior to being consented the development had raised a significant amount of local concern on this subject given its ill siting on a forward slope along the Kyle of Sutherland. Muirden Energy has provided no hard evidence that the change is negligible.

• Noise. Muirden Energy say that the change in blade length will cause a change in noise impact, and that a greater operational noise level is predicted, though not significant. However, they do not mention cumulative noise due to the other already operational or planned wind farms. This should have been done. Local residents remain greatly concerned, not only about noise from Meall Buidhe, but also the cumulative impact of noise when all the other windfarms in the Kyle of Sutherland are considered.

3. General Point: impact during construction

• Given all the other current wind farm applications for the Kyle of Sutherland, due consideration must be given to the impact on the local communities during their construction, especially the increase in traffic, noise and the detrimental overbearing on our local amenity. An extension to June 2029 should not be given to Meall Buidhe as it would certainly add significant impact.