Views sought on plans for major Scottish 'energy park'
The land sits behind Fowlis Wester and takes its name from Meallbrodden Loch. The moor is also home to stone circles, standing stones, Roman remains, ancient forest and native species.
With an approximate generation capacity of 100 megawatts, it is anticipated it would generate enough power for more than 74,000 homes while saving more than 104,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.
The turbines would have a tip height of up to 200m.
A community benefit fund is also set to be linked to the park, which would contribute £5000 per installed megawatt of wind energy to local causes every year.
READ MORE: Scottish independence 'already begun as UK political culture diverges'
If given the green light, bosses at Eurowind Energy Ltd say the project could deliver up to £280,000 annually to the surrounding area.
Eurowind Energy is now inviting residents and stakeholders to help shape the plans with two drop-in exhibition events this month.
Dr David McCaughie, development manager for the UK, said: 'The proposed development is designed to deliver clean, renewable energy through the construction and operation of up to eight wind turbines, a solar array, and a potential Battery Energy Storage System.
'At the heart of this project is a strong commitment to supporting the local community. A substantial Community Benefit Fund would be created, offering a real opportunity to invest in projects and initiatives that matter most to the local community.
'Whether it's improving community spaces, boosting skills and education, supporting local businesses, or driving environmental improvements, we want the fund to deliver lasting value where it's needed most.
READ MORE: Scottish Highland port £42.2million expansion to begin
'We invite residents to attend our drop-in exhibition events, meet the project team, and help shape both the proposals and the future opportunities the Community Benefit Fund can unlock for the area.
'Your feedback is crucial in ensuring the development reflects local priorities.'
Eurowind Energy – which has a wind and solar farm at Howpark in the Scottish Borders – was established in Denmark in 2006 and has around 600 staff across 16 countries. The UK team is based in Glasgow.
The company has submitted a 205-page scoping report to the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit for the plans.
The Scottish Government determines planning applications for electricity generating stations with capacity in excess of 50 megawatts.
Two previous planning applications for similar developments were refused in 2005 and 2014.
The first phase of public consultation will run until June 27.
The drop-in events are due to take place June 18 and 19 from 4pm to 8pm.
The first event will be at Fowlis Wester Village Hall and the second will be at Strathearn Community Campus in Crieff.
Find out more here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Anger as SNP spend £520m on dualling 11 miles of killer A9
Dualling just 11 miles of Scotland's most dangerous road has so far cost taxpayers more than half a billion pounds, it has emerged. And work on the next six-mile stretch of the A9 is expected to cost at least £300million – pushing the combined bill to more than £800million by spring 2027. The SNP vowed in 2011 to upgrade 88 miles of single carriageway between Perth and Inverness by this year. But ministers failed to fund the commitment and finally admitted two years ago that the timetable had become 'unachievable' – pushing back the completion date to 2035. Only two of the 11 sections have been fully dualled so far – the five miles from Kincraig to Dalraddy, near Aviemore, and six miles from Luncarty to Pass of Birnam, north of Perth. The next section set to be completed, the six miles from Tomatin to Moy, outside Inverness, was recently delayed from 2027 to 2028. Construction has yet to start on the other eight stretches, with the final cost forecast to be around £3.7billion. Figures released to the Tories under freedom of information show the SNP spent £520million on dualling the road between 2012 and June this year. This includes design, land acquisition, demolition and preparatory works, procurement of contractors and the cost of the construction works themselves. Another £300million of spending is planned by April 2027, taking the total to £820million for the completion of 17 miles. Scottish Tory transport spokesman Sue Webber called for emergency legislation to cut bureaucracy and 'get the job done'. 'The SNP's ongoing failure to dual the A9 is Scotland's national shame,' she said. 'They've managed to squander £800million of taxpayers' money and still not even a third of the A9 is dualled. 'As costs soar and progress stalls, more and more lives are being lost on the A9. Unlike the SNP, we would make dualling the A9 a top priority.' Despite being the key transport artery to the Highlands, the A9 has long been a notorious accident blackspot, with many fatalities where the route switches between single and dual carriageway. There have been 320 'injury collisions' on the road in the last four years, including 135 classed as serious and 28 fatalities. The deadliest recent year was 2022-23, when 13 people were killed, followed by 2024-25, when there were seven fatalities. Among the recent casualties was mother-of-two Ashleigh Watson, 31, who was pronounced dead at the scene after a single-vehicle crash just before Christmas last year near Inshes, Inverness. A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'The A9 is an essential route in Scotland. It must be safe, reliable and resilient, and that is what this Government will deliver.'
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Outrageous! Fury at threat to increase rail fares by 5.5%
A potential 5.5 per cent rise in England's train fares next year has been described by public transport groups as 'outrageous'. July's Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation – which is often used to determine increases in the cost of train travel – will be announced on Wednesday. The Government has not confirmed how it will determine the cap in regulated fare rises for 2026, but this year's 4.6 per cent hike was one percentage point above RPI in July 2024. Banking group Investec has forecast this year's July RPI figure will be 4.5 per cent, which means fares could jump by 5.5 per cent. Bruce Williamson of pressure group Railfuture said 'it would be outrageous' if fares rose by that much. He added: 'What would be the justification for jacking up fares above inflation? There isn't any. 'It's ripping off the customer, driving people off the trains and on to our congested road network, which is in no one's interest.' Mr Williamson said that he would support the Government marking its nationalisation of train operators by freezing fares. He continued: 'One would hope that there would be some efficiency savings and economies of scale that you get from having a more integrated railway. 'But I strongly suspect that if there are any savings to be had, they'd be swallowed up by the Treasury and not passed back to passengers, which I think is wrong.' Ben Plowden, chief executive of the lobby group Campaign for Better Transport, said: 'Rising fares are not just burdening passengers, they are putting people off rail travel. 'Our survey found that 71 per cent of people would be more likely to take the train if fares were cheaper.' Mr Plowden added that Great British Railways – an upcoming public sector body that will oversee the UK's train operations – 'must take the opportunity to reform fares and make rail travel more affordable' because 'public support for nationalisation plummets if fares continue to rise'. About 45 per cent of fares on the country's railways are regulated by either the Westminster Parliament or the Scottish and Welsh governments. They include season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak return tickets on long-distance routes and flexible tickets for travel around major cities. The Department for Transport (DfT) said there will be an update on changes to regulated fares later this year. A DfT spokesman said: 'The Transport Secretary [Heidi Alexander] has made clear her number one priority is getting the railways back to a place where people can rely on them. 'No decisions have been made on next year's rail fares but our aim is that prices balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers.'
The Herald Scotland
12 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Family sells hotel 'steeped in character' after 165 years
A Scottish hotel that is considered a cornerstone of its community has been saved from collapse. The hotel that had been placed in administration has been acquired under a seven-figure deal, and the story leads our round-up this week. Administrators overseeing the sale of the 24-room property said they sold the business to Fyne Hospitality for £3.05 million. Kevin Mapstone and Kenny Craig of Begbies Traynor were appointed as joint administrators of the Inveraray Inn Ltd, which trades as the George Hotel, in March. Read the full story here Scottish housebuilder doubles profits Bancon chief financial officer Andrew Tweedie, left, with chairman Bob McAlpine. (Image: Bancon) An Aberdeenshire housebuilding and construction group has shrugged off 'uncertainty around geopolitical events and UK policy announcements' to post a doubling of profits.
