Argyll & Bute Council support Carraig Gheal Wind Farm

[20th April 2006 ]

Argyll and Bute Council today (April 20, 2006) voted to support GreenPower's proposed Carraig Gheal wind power project.

The project has been in development since 2001 and an application was submitted in November 2004. This was amended in August 2005 as a result of consultation feedback. As the project exceeds 50MW, the final decision is made by the Scottish Executive under Section 36 of the Electricity Act. The Council, as the local planning authority, is a key statutory consultee in the decision making process.

The project is located to the west side of Loch Awe and to the east of Oban. The project will consist of 20 wind turbines, generating up to 60MW of power, making it the most powerful wind farm in Argyll.

GreenPower's Chief Executive, Robert Forrest, said: “We are delighted that Argyll and Bute Council has backed our project. We have worked hard over the last few years to take into account local opinion and ensure that the project is well designed, with minimal impact on the local environment. Our proposal was given the green light by all the statutory consultees and we are pleased that the councillors have supported our project.”

Discussing the relationship with the local community, Robert Forrest said “We have had significant local support for the project and we will continue to work closely with the local community to ensure that their interests continue to be considered as the project progresses. We would like to thank all those people who have engaged with us over the years, at public exhibitions and meetings.”

The construction of the wind farm would take up to one year, result in up to 60 construction jobs and 4 full time operations staff. The project would cost over £50million to construct, with more than £20m of this potentially to be spent in the local economy. Speaking of the local business opportunities, Robert Forrest said “GreenPower has held a trade exhibition and a very successful trade seminar in conjunction with Argyll and the Islands Enterprise and we are committed to maximising the use of local suppliers and services.”