Atmosphere Electric at Amulree Wind Farm Inquiry

The public inquiry opens in Amulree villagehall.

Facing Russell will be a succession of angry protestors, mostly from the local area, and a procession of smartly dressed experts from afar, all looking out of place in one of the remotest spots in Perthshire. The Reporter's task is tough because he has to adjudicate on two schemes, proposed by competing wind power companies.

By far the largest is GreenPower's who want to place 68 giant structures in an area largely occupied by Griffin Forest and Ballinloan and Scotston estates. The towers of 61 of these would b 77 metres high but with blades whirling round they reach skywards to a height of 124 metres. In what is promulgated as an environmental compromise, the remaining seven have been scaled down to just 114 metres. Nevertheless nothing has yet been built in Scotland that matches this scheme in size. GreenPower claims they will be able to generate 536 billion watts of electricity, enough for 114,000 homes.

On the other side of the A826 Aberfeldy to Crieff road I & H Brown propose 27 turbines dotted around an area close to Calliachar Burn which flows down into the Birks of Aberfeldy. The towers would be more than 60 metres in height with rotor blades 80 metres in diameter. The generating capacity of each turbine will

be 2.0MW, giving a total generating capacity less than a quarter that of the Griffin scheme.

Evidence mounts up around inquiry chief David Russell

On the opening day David Russell asked GreenPower to begin making its case and its first witness, engineer and project manager Dr Mark Evans, nervously took the stand having circulated what in planning inquiries is described as “Summary Precognition”. This was nothing to do with clairvoyance but was an outline of the proposal, laced with jargon. His key selling point came four pages in: “Scotland has the skills needed to enable the country to effectively develop a wind energy industry over the coming years, if the initiative is taken to exploit development opportunities. Griffin Wind Farm would be a major infrastructure project wotyh in the region of £175 million. Up to £45 million of the construction costs could be spent within the local economy.”

Dr Evans was grilled by John Campbell QC, hired by Perth and Kinross Council to oppose both projects. Second in the line-up came Geoffrey Sinclair, advocate for the local opposition - the Amulree and Strathbraan Windfarm Action Group (ASWAG). Other opponents scheduled to give evidence are the community councils for Dunkeld & Burnham, Kenmore & District, and Methven & District; Councillor Alistair Barr; Murdo Fraser MSP; Strathbraan Treks; Foulford Inn; John Muir Trust; Scottish Quads; Gordon Flint; Dr Antony Pleasance; Adrian Grant; Ann & Haldane Lindsay; Ian Abbott; John Bryce.

Specific opposition to the Griffin application will come from Transcotland; Murthly and Strathbraan Estates; Gordon Bryson; John Anderson; Derek Birkett; Michael Funston; Jack & Dorothy Thornley; and Mrs Steuart-Fotheringham, whereas Tilhill Forestry Ltd and a number of the owners of the Griffin application site may speak in support.

Scottish Natural Heritage is another obstacle for GreenPower and I & H Brown. SNH opposed the Abercairney scheme, to the south-west which has been turned down, and will make written submissions to the Amulree inquiry on the same basis