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Heads up that the deadline for commenting on our Hoy planning application is coming up.
If you wish to write a letter or email of support or objection to our proposals for a six turbine wind farm at Wee Fea in Lyness then you've got until the end of the month to do so.
Here's the main things you need to know:
The Scottish Government has called in the planning application, which means that Scottish Ministers will now be responsible for making the final decision on whether or not to grant planning permission for the project.
Full documentation for the Hoy proposal is free to view on the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) website - http://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/
When you go to the website, enter the case reference CIN-ORK-002 in the ‘Search by case reference’ box to find all documents.
A full paper copy of the document can be purchased at a cost of £1250. This may seem like a lot, however a significant amount of documentation is required for a planning application for a development of this scale. This runs to thousands of pages, as well as large scale plans, maps and visualisations that need to be produced to a required standard by professional printers. The cost given is therefore an accurate reflection of the real cost to produce additional copies of the application documents. In normal circumstances a copy is produced for public access and is held at the main council offices for viewing – however due to the current Covid19 restrictions we are unable to do this - but as described above and below, alternatives are available.
You can however buy a USB for £15.00 for PDF screen viewing. Drop us an email at kirsty.groundwater@orkney.gov.uk to arrange this.
Representations need to be made in writing by 31 January 2021 (quoting reference CIN-ORK-002) to: The Planning and Environmental Appeals Division, Scottish Government, Ground Floor, Hadrian House, Callendar Business Park, Callendar Road, Falkirk FK1 1XR or by e-mail to Jayne Anderson - jayne.anderson@gov.scot
Members of the public who took part in the pre-application process are reminded that comments or views submitted during that period were to the applicant and for the pre-application report only. Should they still wish to support or object to the project they also need to make their views known to the DPEA, as described above.
The Hoy project is one part of Orkney's Community Wind Farm Project, which could also see council-owned wind farm developments Quanterness and on Faray.
The Quanterness planning application was also called in in March this year and we're waiting on a decision from Scottish Ministers.
We requested that the Scottish Government call in the applications - principally based on the potential national significance of the project.
The project is considered to be of national significance because of the potential for a direct influence on a new subsea interconnector between Orkney and the Scottish Mainland which has been identified in the National Planning Framework 3 (NPF3) as a National Development.
A new interconnector would make a significant contribution in meeting national net-zero carbon emissions targets and would follow on from the Scottish Government and local authorities across Scotland (including Orkney Islands Council) declaring a Climate Emergency.
In September 2019, the electricity market regulator, Ofgem, published its final decision on the needs case for the new interconnector, setting out that planning permission for 135MW of new generation was required and that this would require to be signed up to a grid connection agreement, and pass a financial audit before the end of 2021 in order to trigger the interconnector.
A planning application for the Faray project is due to be submitted early this year and the Council will also request that Scottish Ministers call in that application.