28-07-2025
Glen Lednock windfarm opponents submit 41-page objection
The Save Glen Lednock document includes concerns on access, traffic and transport, ecology, cultural heritage, noise and vibration.
Campaigners opposed to a controversial windfarm in a scenic Perthshire glen have lodged a 41-page objection to the scheme.
The Comrie-based Save Glen Lednock group - who have described the proposed scheme as a 'destructive industrial project' – submitted their objection to the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit (ECU) just hours before Monday's deadline (July 21).
Renewable energy company Low Carbon, is aiming to build 19 turbines with blade tips extending as high as 200m, on land within Invergeldie Estate.
It is expected to generate approximately 342,600 MWh of electricity per year or the equivalent of the annual electricity requirement of more than 100,000 households.
Save Glen Lednock campaigners say those living near the windfarm – as well as businesses and residents in Comrie and Crieff, and rare birds including golden eagles - will all suffer as a result of the scheme.
The Save Glen Lednock submission lodged this week includes objections on access, traffic and transport, ecology, cultural heritage, noise and vibration and national planning policy.
Objector Alastair Forsyth said: 'This development has the potential to have very negative impacts on many people's lives, not just those who live in Glen Lednock, but also well beyond – with hundreds of additional vehicles for the construction phase, including many lorries, travelling daily along the A85 through Comrie and Crieff to the A9 at Perth.'
The campaigners also highlighted that they only had six weeks to digest 293 documents detailing the plans.
Mr Forsyth added: 'The developer has had years to put together this mass of documentation, yet concerned citizens of Strathearn, and visitors who value the tranquillity and beauty of Glen Lednock, have had just weeks to make sense of the 3,000 pages of documentation that were submitted by Low Carbon in support of their application.'
A Low Carbon spokesperson said this week: 'The final design for the Glen Lednock Wind Farm has been shaped by extensive pre-application consultation with the local community and we are grateful for the input from residents, community councils and other organisations that took time to attend our public exhibitions and other events over the past two years and shared their views with us.
Low Carbon has also undertaken a programme of survey and assessment over several years to inform our Glen Lednock Wind Farm application, which is in line with good practice guidance from the Scottish Government.
This includes an assessment of the project's alignment with National Planning Framework 4 policy tests.
'Furthermore, the application sets out how Low Carbon will provide the equivalent of £5,000 per MW of installed generating capacity annually into a community benefit fund every year.
'This equates to £589,000 per annum or £23.6million (2025 prices) for local communities around Glen Lednock over the proposed 40-year operational life of the project.'
Windfarm backers Low Carbon and opponents Save Glen Lednock have clashed over a number of issues.
Developers Low Carbon last week disputed the campaigners' assertion of 400 lorry movements per day during construction of the windfarm.
However, campaigners pointed to Low Carbon's own Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) to support their assertion.
These figures itemise a seven-month peak daily traffic figure of 392 accounting for 251 large good vehicles (LGV) and 140 heavy goods vehicles (HGV) and one HGV articulated lorry. Heavy goods vehicles and large goods vehicles both have a gross weight exceeding 3500kg.
Low Carbon also took issue with campaigners' mention of a new eight mile access road. However, the EIRC states: 'The Access Route Area to the Turbine Development Area would be approximately 12,687m (eight miles) in length, via the existing A85 bellmouth to the east of Comrie and along a series of access tracks, both existing and newly constructed comprising 'a number of localised upgrades to approximately 8,528m (5.29 miles) of existing tracks; and approximately 4,158m (2.58 miles) of new track.
Another issue of contention is the impact the turbines would have on wild birds including golden eagles.
Low Carbon point out research contained in their EIRC comprises a 'comprehensive assessment of disturbance and displacement of bird species, including golden eagle, [and] concludes that there will be no significant displacement' [by wind turbines].
However, Save Glen Lednock point to a collison risk estimate table in the Low Carbon report.
Campaigner Alastair Forsyth said: 'What is shocking is the predicted mortality of birds of prey caused by collisions with wind turbines over the 40 year operational predicted life of the turbines.
'To be clear a collision equals a dead bird.
'For golden eagle Low Carbon estimate that this would equal approximately 12 birds in 40 years.'
