A guidance for objections to Balblair wind farm

(provided by NO Ring of Steel - NORoS Kyle of Sutherland)

Your community needs your help

On 14th March 2025 a company called Wind Power North Two Limited,  a company wholly owned by Vestas Development submitted a planning application to the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit (ECU) to build the Balblair wind farm comprising - 8 turbines (2 at 200 metres and 6 at 180 metres high), plus a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), plus borrow pits (quarries) and associated infrastructure and ancillary development.  As the proposed development is expected to have an installed capacity in excess of 50 MW, an application for consent will be made to Scottish Ministers under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.

THE SITE

The proposed site is located on the Balblair estate with access through the Achinduich Estate and lies approximately 2 km to the north-west of Bonar Bridge. Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) owns the forests which adjoin the estate to the north-west and south. Various crofts and scattered residential properties lie to the east of the estate. The approved Garvary wind farm will be located on the moorland to the north of Balblair estate with Lairg wind farm and its extension further north again. Access to the proposed development will use the same as that for Garvary, off A836 north of Invershin.  The current land cover of the site is classified as mainly raised and blanket bogs, seasonally wet grassland and temperate shrub heathland. Within the site there are minor patches of mixed deciduous and coniferous woodland and Scots pine woodland. Broad-leaved deciduous woodland and commercial coniferous plantations are found at the western border of the site. The site is used for grazing.

LANDSCAPE IMPACT

The site is elevated and its position on the edge of a high moorland plateau with no significant visual interruptions will mean these turbines dominate the local landscape. With the highest set turbine based at 293m and rising to a total elevation of 473m, the cluster will also be visible from many more parts of Sutherland than residents and visitors might expect. It is vital that objectors consult the 16 viewpoint images in the Developer’s application (EIA) to gain a clear understanding of how this development might affect them or their business.

The cumulative impact of Balblair WF, set alongside its neighbours, the approved Lairg extension and Garvary and the proposed Acheilidh WF, would create a massed cluster of some 78 turbines between Lairg and Bonar Bridge! The Balblair development, moreover, would push this growing forest of turbines further east into the larger settlements of Bonar Bridge and Ardgay and towards the scenic Dornoch Firth region.

An argument against any further wind farm development in this already approved cluster is the visual impact it would have not just on local settlements, but also on scenic viewpoints from nearby mountains (see the EIA), but also at Struie from Andrew Carnegie’s ‘Millionaire’s View’. For generations this much photographed panorama has been celebrated by locals and visitors alike as an extraordinary opportunity to view large swathes of Sutherland’s stunning landscape stretched out before them. This is a part of our scenic heritage which should not be destroyed either for its own sake and for the way in which it will undermine tourism and businesses which depend on visitors to the area. For a sense of just how many turbines may be visible from that viewpoint if the current pace of development continues unchecked, see the developer’s “Viewpoint 10: Including Acheilidh and Garvary’ in the EIA, with its associated line drawings.

 

TRANSPORT AND DISRUPTION

The A839 and A836 will be used to transport the turbine loads from Nigg, through Rogart and Lairg, thus yet again impacting on these villages for several weeks during construction.  There will also be up to 100 (HGV) and 90 (cars / light vehicle) journeys per day though Bonar Bridge, which will impact significantly on local residents. If other windfarms are constructed simultaneously there will be even more traffic.

Click on the link below to read about the development.

https://www.energyconsents.scot/ApplicationDetails.aspx?cr=ECU00005055

or Read full details of the application and Environmental Impact Assessment at  https://www.energyconsents.scot using the reference Balblair or ECU00005055 in the simple search bar.

With Rosehall and Achany windfarms operational, plus the Meall Buidhe, Achany extension, Garvary and Strath Oykel projects all approved, plus Allt an Tuir,  Braelangwell, Coille Beith,  Inver Oykel and Invercassley in various planning /scoping stages, the Kyle of Sutherland area faces being encircled by a ring of steel of 179 noisy turbines.

We are most concerned that this and future developments will have significant damaging impacts on the area and the local economy, and that our once rural landscape is being turned into an industrial one.        

How you can help

We need as many people as possible to object to this Balblair proposal to stand a realistic chance of refusal by the Highland Council and also the Scottish Government, with objections from residents being the most important. Every individual in a household can object, but each individual per house must each send a separate letter, or an email using a different email address.   Any Local home-owner and their immediate family, if not permanently resident, should object using their address here (IV24/IV27).  People outside the local area are strongly encouraged to object, especially if they have a link to the area i.e. walkers, nature lovers, fishing, regular visitors, holidaymakers etc and please encourage family and friends to also object if they so wish.      

You can read below how to submit your objection. To assist there are some additional suggested points for objections based on our concerns and a study of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) supplied by the developer as part of their planning application.

                  Please note that the deadline for receipt of your objection is Friday 25th April 2025

        Thank you for your help by objecting, for which we, the NORoS Committee, are most grateful.

                      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:

*Scottish Government, Energy Consents Unit,

4th Floor, 5 Atlantic Quay,

150 Broomielaw, Glasgow, G2 8LU.                                                                                                          * Date

* denotes essential information even by e-mail.

* Objection to the proposed Balblair wind farm - Ref:  ECU00005055 [ * you should quote this heading on letters and on e-mails]

I wish to object to the proposed Balblair wind farm as described in the Developer’s Environmental Impact Statement. There are several factors which concern me and are the basis of my objection: 

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

Signed                                                                (Name typed)

Email objections must be made to: representations@gov.scot and e-mails should include the full return (e-mail) address of those making an objection. Only e-mails will receive acknowledgement.  Please also BCC/ share your objection to the Highland Council’s Planning Department at eplanning@highland.gov.uk  as they will use your comments to help them decide their response as a Statutory consultee. If mailing, post to Planning Department, The Highland Council, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX

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 / 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 on which you may choose to object

 

Your objection will be much more effective if you use your own words and avoid copying and pasting the suggested topics below

 

Everyone will have their own reasons why they do not want to see another wind farm within the Kyle of Sutherland and its surrounding area, but below are some of the key points based on our concerns and a study of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) supplied by the developer. Please note that a spoilt view from your property is not a valid objection.

 

Site Selection

·         The site impacts significantly on the Kyle of Sutherland from its estuary to Rosehall.

  • The site is too close to properties and only 1 kilometre away from nearest house (Craigton ) and 1.5km from Coirshellach.

  • The turbines will not be hidden by trees or landform and any future commensurate planting by developer will make no difference. Five kilometres of onsite access tracks will be created, thus scarring the hillside forever.

 

Visual Impact:

  • The size of the turbines (180 and 200m) and the elevation of the site which will make the development visible across vast swathes of Sutherland and the north.

  • The turbines will dominate the skyline for some settlements with residents badly affected visually during the day and at night with potential noise impact. The annex to the EIA accepts that they “would be visible from nearby properties, some settlements as well as parts of the surrounding road network and footpath network” also that “Ardgay would experience a significant visual effect during daylight hours.”

  • The impact of the development on local transport routes would damage tourism and contribute to a ‘wind farm landscape’ for locals. The EIA acknowledges that “significant visual effects would be experienced from sections of 8 core paths in the surrounding area. In addition, there would be significant visual effects from sections of the A836 (travelling north) and the Far North Railway Line”

  • Proximity to and an intimate connection with the Dornoch Firth National Scenic Area, just 4.8 kilometers away, as well as visibility from numerous mountains to the west, thus despoiling and industrialising the landscapes of the northern highlands.

  • NatureScot’s website states that ‘wind farms…should be designed to best relate to their setting and to minimise landscape and visual impacts’. In combination with Garvary (and potentially Acheilidh), the Balblair WF would have a dramatic visual impact on the iconic Struie viewpoint, undermining both local and national heritage (see above).

 

Cumulative Impact:

  • Balblair WF along with the approved Lairg extension and Garvary and the proposed Acheilidh WF, would create a massed cluster of some 78 turbines between Lairg and Bonar Bridge, with Balblair WF pushing a windfarm landscape further east than ever before.

  • With Rosehall and Achany windfarms operational, Meall Buidhe, Achany extension, Garvary and Strath Oykel all approved, and Allt an Tuir,  Braelangwell, Coille Beith,  Inver Oykel and Invercassley in various planning /scoping stages, the Kyle of Sutherland area faces being encircled by a ring of steel of 179 noisy turbines.

  • With Rosehall and Achany windfarms operational, Meall Buidhe, Achany extension, Garvary and Strath Oykel approved, plus Allt an Tuir,  Braelangwell, Coille Beith,  Inveroykel and Invercassley in planning or scoping stages, the Kyle of Sutherland faces encirclement 179 turbines – this is an extreme example of cumulative impact which must be stopped.

  • The developers use a hollow ‘piggy-back’ argument to minimise the cumulative impact of the development by suggesting that approved, but still unbuilt, wind farms elsewhere in the area form a ‘baseline’ which means that the landscape can ‘accommodate’ more turbines. In other words, a trashed landscape can no longer be further damaged! The fact that developers are allowed to submit plans and have them approved without securing site access means that some may never be built but are nevertheless being used as an argument to allow more.

  • Noise Pollution

  • The EIA admits that under certain wind conditions, the official regulated noise limits (laid down by ETSU R-97) will be exceeded during daytime at the properties called Ausdale (1.3km from nearest turbine) and Reidbreac (1.4km from nearest turbine) during daytime, due to the cumulative effect of existing operational and consented wind farms. (EIA para 13.9.8).  A potential ‘Significant’ effect is therefore indicated for this scenario. The developer attempts to shrug this off at para 13.9.10 by saying that “the margin by which the noise limits may be exceeded at these locations is small. Where there is the potential for this to occur, it would be infrequent, occurring only under downwind conditions, i.e. wind blowing from the north, which is uncommon in the UK”.  This statement is incorrect, given that this past winter there have been a considerable number of days with north winds. These properties will have to suffer from a noisy environment which exceeds legal daytime limits. This is unacceptable and thus should not be permitted.  

  • The highest noise level from just Balblair will be at Craigton property and Coirshellach, where the noise legal limit will be exceeded.

  • With a prevailing wind, noise from turbines can travel several kilometres and so the local area will likely be subjected to both excessive noise and infrasound; noise will impinge on the public’s overall amenity, including recreational activity in the area and simply by being in one’s garden.

 

Turbine Flicker

  • The EIA confirms the properties at Craigton (affected by turbine 5) and Reidbreac (affected by turbine 3) are close to the threshold (30 minutes per day) by being affected by turbine flicker for up to 25 and 26 minutes per day respectively. No one should have to put up with such an imposition.

 

Transportation and impact on local road users

  • There will be a major increase in daily HGV traffic (during construction an estimated extra daily 144 HGVs and 50 light vehicle journeys).  Most of this will be through Bonar Bridge, which will suffer medium impact throughout the day with up to 127% increase estimated. This increase will prove a major inconvenience to all concerned.

  • Should Balblair’s construction coincide with that of other approved wind farms, then the traffic will be much greater, yet no one has considered the problems this will cause.

  • There will be a significant increase in overall traffic. The percentage change in HGV traffic is over 90% on the A836 between the A839 and A837 (Lairg to Invershin). Elsewhere on the A836 the percentage change in HGV traffic is between 60% and 90%.

  • The main route in for the turbines is from Invergordon to the Mound, to Rogart, and from Lairg to the site. Rogart and Lairg have already been badly impacted by abnormal turbine loads. Indeed, Rogart residents have complained about such loads. It could get worse!

 

Ornithology.

  • A total of 77 bird species were recorded within or adjacent to the site during bird surveys.

  • Hen harriers, osprey and kite are all confirmed as breeding in or close to the survey area.

  • Turbines are more likely than not to drive bird life out of the site, especially raptors. So much for efforts to protect these birds.

 

Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)

  • The EIA provides very limited detail on the BESS, stating that “it would use the latest available technology at the time of installation (i.e. lithium-ion, iron-air). The final choice of battery model would ensure compliance with the above parameters. The number, dimensions, housing type, finish, arrangement, security fencing and landscaping of the substation and BESS would be subject to consultation and approval by the Council prior to construction commencing”.

  • This statement goes to show that local people have no say in the matter.

  • Recent fires at BESSs have shown the associated risks and locating one here is taking an enormous risk, which is unacceptable. Should a fire occur, thousands of litres of water would be needed to contain a thermal runaway.

  • Where would this water come from with no suitable on-site hydrants?  On site burns cannot be relied on. Moreover, all the polluted run-off would end up in the Kyle.

 

Tourism and Local Economy

  • The area supports many tourism businesses and visitors come here to enjoy the rural outlook and peace and quiet. Will they still come if another wind farm effectively trashes it?

  • The area attracts visitors for fishing, canoeing, bird watching etc. All enjoy the rural outlook, wildlife and peace and quiet while participating in activities. The development will significantly affect this amenity.

  • There are a large number of residents employed in tourism and recreational activities and visitors also make use of local facilities whilst here. Any reduction in tourism numbers will have significant impact on local economy.