Environmental Consultancy Atmos Consulting has submitted a planning application for the installation of 14 wind turbines, with an estimated output of 49MW in total, at Leadhills, South Lanarkshire on behalf of Falck Renewables Wind (Falck) and RDC Partners LLP (RDC).
The project which is located approximately 4-5km from the villages of Crawfordjohn, Leadhills and Wanlockhead sits within the Broad Area of Search for Wind Farms over 20MW as defined by South Lanarkshire Council. It is however within the 50km buffer zone of the Eskdalemuir seismic monitoring station, run by the MoD.
Extensive consultation was carried out throughout the process, with public exhibitions held in Crawfordjohn and Leadhills which gave the local communities an opportunity to view and comment on the proposed plans. The local authority will now consult statutory agencies and the public on their opinions of the proposal before a decision is reached; this is expected towards the end of 2013.
The joint venture between RDC and Falck has to date developed seven successful wind farm projects in the UK, including Ben Aketil on Skye, Boyndie in Aberdeenshire, Millennium in Inverness-shire, Cefn Croys in Wales and Earlsburn in Stirlingshire. Atmos Consulting has worked closely with the joint venture to help secure the planning permissions required for all of these developments, and continues to support Falck Renewables Wind/RDC Developments on a range of new projects.
Simon Green, Project Manager at RDC, commented, “We in the RDC/Falck team have been working for the last five years to secure the necessary land agreements, undertake grid studies and planning work to arrive at this important milestone in this project.”
We have been able to rely on Atmos to co-ordinate all aspects of the planning EIA work, with our input at key points, for them now to lodge our planning application with South Lanarkshire Council. We look forward to working with Atmos, the Council and stakeholders in moving toward determination of the project in the coming months.”
The Atmos-led Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) team has worked to refine the proposed layout through a mix of baseline work and detailed consultations. Speaking of the project, Roger McMichael, Principal Consultant with Atmos Consulting based in Inverness, said, “Atmos is delighted to continue our excellent working relationship with the Falck and RDC partnership on this latest project, on budget and within ambitious deadlines.”
“Our comprehensive skill set and EIA processes have ensured risks have been catalogued and considered, with professional judgement informing of the key decisions we have taken.”
For more information on Atmos Consulting, its products and projects, please visit www.atmosconsulting.com.
