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Council planning officials back Pairc wind farm                         20/4/09

 

The controversial giant windfarm planned at Pairc on Lewis has been backed by planning officials.

Now councillors are fully expected to approve the proposal to erect 26 giant  turbines when they discuss the issue tomorrow morning.

The ultimate decision for the £108 million, 94 megawatt scheme, at Pairc in south east Lewis lies with the Scottish Government.

The council's economic officials point out that only 13 jobs will be undertaken by local contractors over the two-year construction phase plus another 14 local indirect posts.

In the long term 12 positions to operate the wind farm would be based in the islands.

A package of community benefit stands at £306,000 per year which would be spilt between the council-led Western Isles Development Trust and the immediate villages. If invested appropriately this could create 10 jobs on the islands.

Fearing a possible public inquiry which would futher delay the go-ahead, councillors are set to request that the Scottish minister Jim Mather grants planning permission.

The power company has followed the local authority’s earlier advice to submit a new bid in a strategy to avoid a public inquiry.

This is the third time SSE have changed their plans for the Pairc estate. Originally it wanted to erect 125 turbines but this was slashed to just 57 machines when the official application was lodged in June 2007.

SSE now wants to build just 26 machines across crofting and private moorland in South Lochs.

In December 2007 Western Isles Council refused to pass the whole scheme despite many councillors lamenting the potential multi-million pound loss of community benefit.