Latest news with #SaveGlenLednock
Daily Record
28-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
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.'
Daily Record
07-07-2025
- Daily Record
Objectors in 'David and Goliath' struggle to halt Perthshire wind farm scheme
Proposed Glen Lednock scheme would be visual intrusion in a scenic part of Highland Perthshire, say opponents. Perthshire residents are campaigning against a wind farm project which they describe as 'the industrialisation of a precious mountain landscape'. The proposed Glen Lednock Wind Farm, on the Invergeldie Estate near Comrie, adjacent to Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, comprises 19 wind turbines with a blade tip height of up to 200 metres. Objectors this week insisted that company Low Carbon's application would be a major visual intrusion in a scenic part of Highland Perthshire. They have formed a Save Glen Lednock group and urged objectors to submit comments before a consultation deadline of Monday July 20. Comrie objector David Spaven commented: 'It's a bit of a David v Goliath struggle, fighting a big multi-national company – but remember that David won. 'With the combination of raised community awareness and a professional report we've commissioned, we're quietly optimistic that we can stop this destructive scheme which amounts to the industrialisation of a precious mountain landscape'. Save Glen Lednock steering group member, engineer Martin Downing – who has worked on a number of other windfarm developments across Scotland – commented: 'I'm happy to see wind farms in the right places, but Glen Lednock is not the right place. 'The development would be a major visual intrusion in a scenic part of Highland Perthshire which is currently devoid of wind farms. 'The site is less than three miles from The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park and the National Scenic Area along Strathearn. 'It would be visible from the paths up Ben Vorlich, Ben Chonzie and Ben Lawers, three of the most popular Munros in Scotland. 'The route of the proposed eight-mile access road from the A85 up Glen Lednock is appalling. 'The 30-feet-wide road corridor would destroy beautiful Carraglen, one of the loveliest parts of Strathearn. 'Many local people know next to nothing about this proposal, so we're getting out and about to raise awareness and encourage folk to make their own individual objections.' Fellow objector Alastair Forsyth also pointed to the intrusive visual impact of Low Carbon's proposal. He said: 'The spinning blades of the turbines would be visible from multiple locations, including Polinard Common in Comrie, Dalginross Roman Fort, the B827 Langside road, Torlum, MacRosty Park Crieff, Knock of Crieff, Schiehallion, Ben Lomond, and many, many more. 'And there would be a massive day-to-day impact on the residents of Glen Lednock. 'And immediately adjacent to the glen there is yet another wind farm proposal – in Glen Tarken. The cumulative impact of up to 31 turbines would be disastrous for a peaceful, mountainous landscape which is much enjoyed by walkers and climbers.' Save Glen Lednock have set up a Facebook page and are hosting a drop-in information-sharing session from 10.30am to noon on Friday July 11 at the White Church Community Centre in Comrie. Low Carbon state on the Glen Lednock Windfarm website: 'We recognise that the development of wind energy can cause disruption and damage. 'We are committed to taking every step to make sure that the potential negative impacts of any wind development on one of our estates are avoided or minimised where possible. 'We also make sure that any such developments are integrated into a wider masterplan for the site which delivers environmental restoration at scale, creating significantly more positive impacts than negative ones. 'While we recognise that this is not a perfect solution, we don't believe we have the luxury of finding perfect solutions, and we believe that we owe it to the next generation to do what we can to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss.'
