Photo by Paolo Chiabrando
Western Isles councillors have formally objected to a proposed 60-turbine offshore wind farm off the west coast of Lewis, after planning officers recommended opposition on the grounds of landscape, seascape and historic environment harm. The decision was taken at a full meeting of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar on 29 June, following the council’s planning committee reaching the same conclusion the previous week.
A 900MW project facing local opposition
The proposed Spiorad na Mara project, developed by Northland Power in partnership with ESB, would see up to 60 turbines standing around 300m tall installed roughly 5-13km off Lewis’s west coast. Northland Power says the project would generate enough electricity to meet the average annual needs of more than a million homes.
The comhairle’s objection follows a planning officers’ report which concluded there was “overwhelming evidence that the proposed development would be detrimental to the character, quality and enjoyment of the north west coast of the Isle of Lewis”, as reported by BBC Scotland News on 17 June. The report said the harm caused would not be acceptable and there was no way to mitigate the impact. Officers also raised concerns that the developer’s environmental impact assessment did not allow for a “robust and systematic assessment” of the project’s likely significant environmental effects as a whole.
Full council backs the objection
The full council confirmed the objection on 29 June, stating that the project’s significant adverse effects on landscape, seascape and the historic environment “outweigh any positive contribution to renewable energy generation and climate change targets”. The comhairle said it recognised the importance of maximising renewable energy generation, but that this should “not be at any cost”.
The final decision on the application rests with the Scottish government, given the scale of the project.
Developer says it will keep engaging
Northland Power said in a statement that it respected the comhairle’s role in the process and thanked all those who took part and shared their views. A spokesperson said: “Once the council has submitted its response to the Marine Directorate licensing and operations team, it will be carefully reviewed by the project team alongside all consultation feedback to ensure we fully understand and can respond to the concerns being raised. The planning process is designed to consider a range of perspectives, and we will continue to participate constructively in that process.” The company added that its focus remained on developing the project to the “highest environmental standards”.
In its earlier response to the planning officers’ recommendation, the developer said it remained focused on a project that supported “the transition to clean energy while delivering long-term benefits for the Isle of Lewis and the wider region”, and that it would continue to engage with local communities, stakeholders and decision-makers throughout the process.