Published: Thursday, 1st July, 2010 9:23am

Torness operator defends wind turbine plans

by Bryan Copland

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PROPOSALS to build three wind turbines near Skateraw will only encourage the "widely held view" of East Lothian as a "dumping ground" for industrial developments if approved, a critic of the plans has claimed.

John Radford, who lived in Dunbar before recently relocating to Edinburgh, says a planning application by EDF Energy - operators of Torness Power Station - which has been submitted to East Lothian Council, "clearly contradicts" Scottish Government planning guidelines.

The company has applied to construct the 100-metre high appliances and a control building on land owned by French building materials company Lafarge, which is currently used for agriculture to the north of Dryburn Bridge and north-west of the village of Skateraw.

A decision is yet to be made by the local authority, but Mr Radford claims the turbines would be less than 500 metres from residential properties at Skateraw.

In a letter to the Courier, he wrote: "These turbines will inflict severe shadow flicker and continuous, day and night background noise and ground vibration on the unfortunate Skateraw residents.

"This proposal will add a totally insignificant 0.16 per cent to the non-carbon emitting electricity generation capacity in the Skateraw/Torness area."

Added Mr Radford: "This proposal clearly contradicts Scottish Government planning guidelines SPP6 and PAN45 which state unequivocally: 'SPP6 confirms that, in all instances, proposals should not be permitted if they would have a significant long-term detrimental impact on the amenity of people living nearby.

"This principle applies to houses within and outwith 2km of the proposed development and regardless of whether they are single dwellings or part of a settlement.'.

"To fail to reject this proposal, will simply add further credibility to the widely held view that East Lothian is nothing more than a convenient dumping ground for inappropriate industrial developments".

According to an EDF residential visual amenity survey, 47 homes within 2km of the development would have a direct view of the turbines, and a further 66 houses would have partial visibility.

Affected settlements would include Skateraw, Innerwick, Thorntonloch, Thurston, he said.

Mr Radford previously opposed an unsuccessful bid by Community Windpower Ltd - operators of the Aikengall windfarm by Innerwick - late last year to erect a wind turbine south of the Spott Roundabout, near the John Muir Way, Dunbar.

An EDF Energy spokesperson said: "EDF Energy Renewables has over the last two years undertaken a full environmental impact assessment of the proposed wind farm site. This included surveys and studies investigating and addressing a wide range of environmental issues including shadow flicker, noise, visual impact as well as planning policy.

"The results of the studies were presented in the environmental statement which accompanied the recently submitted planning application.

"For instance, the only property where shadow flicker is theoretically possible is at Links Cottage, which is owned by EDF Energy.

"The three turbines would generate green energy to support the Scottish Government's targets for renewable energy, equivalent to powering approximately 2,900 homes in the first year of operation. EDF Energy has the lowest carbon emissions of any power generator in the UK and the wind turbines at Dunbar would form part of a balanced and diverse electricity generation portfolio."