Concerns over golden eagles partly prompt the redesign of wind farm
A golden eagle photographed in Scotland. The bird of prey is protected under the U.K.’s Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.
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Plans for an onshore wind farm in Scotland have been revised after a number of concerns, including those related to how the project might affect golden eagles.
If built, the Scoop Hill Community Wind Farm will have 60 turbines instead of the 75 that were originally proposed.
The tip height of four turbines in the development, in Dumfries and Galloway, will also be lowered.
In a project update last week, the firm behind the Scoop Hill Community Wind Farm said revisions to the development had been made after “extensive and iterative discussions” with both the local community and consultees.
“During the consultation period, comments were raised by consultees and local residents, primarily relating to landscape and visual impacts, residential amenity, cultural heritage, dark skies and golden eagles,” Community Windpower said.
The company said it would now submit additional documentation to the Scottish government’s Energy Consents Unit in the spring.
“We have taken on board comments raised by consultees and the local community and have made significant, positive changes to the proposed layout,” said Rebecca Elliott, senior project manager for the Scoop Hill facility.
Elliott added that she looked forward to “discussing the updated proposal with the community in the coming months.”
Golden eagle concerns
The decision to reduce the number of turbines for Scoop Hill follows a period of consultation for the project.
Those responding to the consultation included RSPB Scotland, a charity focused on conservation. In a letter sent to the Energy Consents Unit in Jan. 2021, it voiced its opposition to the plans.
Among other things, the letter expressed unease about the facility’s potential effect on the golden eagle, a bird of prey protected under the U.K.’s Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
“We have significant concerns about the impact that this proposal will have on golden eagle through collision risk, habitat loss, the potential for complete abandonment of a territory and impact on roost sites,” the organization’s letter said.
“Furthermore, we believe that the assessment of such impacts through both construction and operation is incomplete, and as such we object to this application,” it added. “We also have concerns regarding osprey and black grouse.”
Balancing act
The decision to reduce the size of the Scoop Hill project represents the latest example of how concerns about the interaction between wind farms and the natural world can create hurdles for companies looking to build out renewable energy projects.
In Dec. 2022, for example, plans for a major new wind farm in Australia were given the thumbs up on the proviso its turbines went offline for five months a year to protect a parrot species.
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