Green light for windfarm after plans are changed

Plans for a large windfarm that in their original form sparked controversy have been approved by Scottish ministers after developers agreed to reduce the number of turbines.

The development, on Lewis, will generate 129.6MW of electricity, enough to power 60,000 homes.

RSPB Scotland opposed the original proposal, citing concerns about the impact on local wildlife and the Lewis peatlands special protection area, but withdrew its complaint after the developer agreed to reduce the scale of the project from 42 turbines to 36.

The Scottish government said that the move would strengthen the case for the Western Isles sub-sea cable, which would allow the area to generate electricity for the mainland.

Lewis Wind Power and the Stornoway Trust are behind the Stornoway Wind Farm project. They say that it will support 196 jobs in the Western Isles and a further 181 in the rest of Scotland.

Ron Peddie, the project director, said: "The development team is particularly pleased by the support shown by the public throughout the consultation process and we are confident that they will be pleased when the final wind farm is constructed."

From The Times