DC Casebook: Energy Development - Wind farm rejected on wildlife grounds

Planning, 16 May 2008

The 24,800ha site included the Lewis peatlands special protection area and lay near to two other protected areas. These areas were of international importance for a range of wild birds including golden eagles, golden plover and greenshank, the ministers noted. They recognised the potential for the turbines to reduce bird populations through disturbance to their habitats.

Even a reduction by a few per cent could cause long-term decline in bird species, they ruled. In their view, proposed mitigation measures would be unlikely to prevent an adverse impact. In particular, they identified a significant risk that golden eagles would collide with the turbine blades.

The ministers acknowledged that the economic argument in favour of the proposal was strong. It would provide significant benefits to many in the Western Isles community through the creation of more than 400 jobs, they observed. However, they concluded that regulations to protect the nature conservation areas were not overruled or outweighed by the potential benefits or the need to increase the supply of renewable energy.

The proposal was assessed against the target of meeting 31 per cent of Scottish electricity demand from renewable sources by 2011 and 50 per cent by 2020. Noting that on current estimates more than half of Scotland's electricity demand would be met from renewable sources, the ministers concluded that alternatives to the application site were available to meet the need.

DCS Number 100-054-735

Written representations.