Community estate concern windfarm consultation
Urras Sgìre Oighreachd Bharabhais (Barvas Estate Trust) has expressed objections to the proposed Spiorad na Mara offshore wind farm as part of the planning application process.
“Representing the views of our community”, the Trust’s submission details a number of areas of concern, including a “lack of community engagement”.
They also criticised Comhairle nan Eilean Siar for its role in identifying and leasing the N4 area for development as part of the ScotWind auction.
It accused the council of “misrepresenting” the community’s views in “a serious breach” of its rights – and called for the consenting process to be suspended until a public inquiry could be held.
Barvas is one of the parties in the West Side Estates Group, along with Galson, Carloway and Dalmore, which negotiated a community benefit payment of £4.5million per annum, should N4 go ahead. That followed nearly two years of discussions. At the time, the group stressed it had not taken a view on supporting the project.
In its submission, Barvas said it was “one of the community owned estates that is closest” to the proposed N4 site. “The proximity of this development to shore is unique as N4 is the closest lease of all ScotWind marine areas let in 2021 by the Scottish Government, and the closest to shore of any marine wind farm in Europe.”
They stressed its “significant visual impact”, due to an array of 60 wind turbines, 338m in height above mean sea level and situated only 5km to 13km from the coastline. They said the turbines would “dominate the landscape of the largest township within the Barvas Estate”.
The submission stressed directors of Barvas Estate Trust “have adopted a neutral position on the proposed Wind Farm development and sought the views of our community for direction on any representation for project consenting”.
It said: “There was no consultation with the communities on the west coast of Lewis prior to the Crown Estate Scotland identifying and leasing the N4 area for development. The plan was imposed upon residents without consent.
“Our local council authority (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar) has since admitted and apologised that they had misrepresented these communities by stating to the Scottish Government that there was no objection from local communities to the proximity of N4 location and the communities were in favour.
“This misrepresentation is a serious breach of our communities’ rights under existing planning legislation which alone would justify suspension of any consenting until a public enquiry is undertaken.”
However, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar denied misrepresenting the community’s views – and insisted no such apology was issued to the Barvas Trust.
They said in a statement: “The Comhairle followed due process throughout the consultation process and has not issued any apologies in relation to any claims that it misrepresented communities to Scottish Government.
“The identification of deployment areas for the ScotWind Offshore Wind Leasing Round, including area N4, was carried out by Marine Scotland and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar had no formal role in the identification of these areas.
“Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s response to Marine Scotland’s consultation was informed by the community responses to local public consultations and public consideration of the matter by the Comhairle. At the time, no objection was raised to N4 as a ScotWind deployment area and this information was relayed to the Scottish Government.
“Importantly, the Comhairle, in its response, noted the position of N4 close to land and stated: ‘that it should not be automatically assumed that development in the area landward of the IMO Shipping Route would be deemed unacceptable on visual impact grounds without further consultation with the potentially impacted communities.’ Marine Scotland did not take forward this further consultation.”