SNH back Stornoway wind farm

SNH favourable towards giant Stornoway wind farm 5/9/11

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) says it should be possible to accommodate Lewis Windpower’s proposed £200 million windfarm outside Stornoway - though some turbines may have to be removed to avoid killing golden eagles.

The organisation has responded to the Scottish Government consultation on a proposed 42-turbine development, adjacent to the Lewis Peatlands Special Protection Area.

The developers - a partnership between Amec and French government-owned EDF Energy - want to build the massive scheme adjacent to a busy tourist route on crofters grazings which the Stornoway Trust controversially committed to the huge development for decades.

SNH has asked for further work to be done to examine and address the potential impacts the windfarm would have on two protected bird species; golden eagles and red-throated divers.

This includes identifying which turbines could be removed from the proposals in order to reduce the risks of golden eagles being affected.

More information about red-throated divers is also needed to properly assess collision risks with turbines.

Johanne Ferguson, SNH operations manager for the Outer Hebrides, said that if these issues were addressed then SNH would have no outstanding concerns about the development.

She added: “We support renewable energy as a key means of addressing the climate change threat. The challenge is to make sure the right developments happen in the right places.

“We believe Scotland has huge potential in renewable energy and that it should be possible to achieve targets whilst making sure the impacts on nature and landscape are sustainable.

“We are confident that the issues we have raised in our response can be addressed and look forward to working with the developer on the detail of these.”