Hoy Planning Application Now Online

Our planning application documents for a six-turbine wind farm development at Wee Fea in Hoy are now available to view and comment on online.

The development is part of Orkney's Community Wind Farm Project, which also includes proposed council-owned wind farm developments at Quanterness and on Faray.

We submitted a planning application for the Quanterness project in January, which was subsequently called in by the Scottish Ministers in March. A 30 day consultation period came to a close last week. We’ve now got 14 days to comment on any comments submitted as part of that.

A planning application for the Faray project is likely to be submitted at the start of next year, with pre-application consultation due to take place very soon.

As with the Quanterness application, following a decision at a meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee in November 2019, a request will be made to the Scottish Ministers to call the Hoy application in too on the grounds of national importance.

All three developments are substantial, and the turbines are of a height not used in Orkney before (149.9m to blade tip). The projects therefore present a number of potential impacts and these will be weighed against the potential benefits from the project through the planning process.

Individuals will have different opinions on that balance and through the planning process have the opportunity to express their support or objections to the development.

The full application documents are available through the Council website https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/D/application_search_submission.htm. For more information visit the Planning Application Search and Submission page of the website, read the Disclaimer and Copyright document available in the 'Related Downloads' section and then click on the 'Accept and Search' button.

For the ‘Orkney’s Community Wind Farm – Hoy’ planning application search for 20/313/TPPMAJ.

Information on how to comment on a planning application – whether that be to support the proposal or object to it – and what happens to those comments is available at https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/D/commenting-on-a-application.htm.

Comments can be submitted in writing, either by email to planning@orkney.gov.uk, online through the Council website www.orkney.gov.uk or by post to: Development Management, Council Offices, School Place, Kirkwall, KW15 1NY.

In line with the Town and Country Planning (Miscellaneous Temporary Modifications) (Coronavirus) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 that came into place on the 24th April 2020, the Environmental Impact Assessment Report will be available for public inspection online only.

However, all documents are available (as a PDF for screen viewing only) on a USB for £15.00 or as a hard copy for £1,250.00 (including printing and distribution), by emailing sweyn.johnston@orkney.gov.uk or by phone 07935 872 813