News on Scottish Government Call In of Quanterness

The Scottish Government has now called in the ‘Orkney’s Community Wind Farm Project – Quanterness’ planning application for determination.

Scottish Ministers will now be responsible for making the final decision on whether or not to grant planning permission for the project.

This follows the Council writing to the Scottish Government to request that they consider calling in the application - 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.

The planning application is for a six-turbine wind farm development at Quanterness outside Kirkwall and is one part of Orkney's Community Wind Farm Project, which could also see council-owned wind farm developments in Hoy and on Faray.

If the proposals and sites are found through the planning process to be appropriate and the projects go forward, it could generate significant income and community benefit for Orkney.

All profit would stay in the islands, enabling the Council to preserve and enhance key services that local people value and depend upon and providing a foundation for communities to drive transformational projects of their own.

All three developments are substantial, and the turbines are of a height not used in Orkney before (almost 150m to blade tip). The projects therefore present a number of potential impacts and these must be weighed against the perceived benefits from the project.

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.

Planning applications for the Hoy and Faray projects are likely to follow later in the year, as there are additional survey requirements for these sites. Public consultation will be carried out to present the latest plans and gather public views.

The Council will also request that Scottish Ministers call in planning applications for these projects.

Further information on the project is available here https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Council/C/orkneys-community-wind-farm-project.htm and on the Orkney’s Community Wind Farm Facebook page.