Dear Supporters

The pre examination meeting for the conjoined public enquiry for: Knockcronal, Carrick and Craiginmoddie was held on 10^th January 2023 in the Carrick Centre in Maybole. This meeting was to set the parameters and the timescale for the inquiry and was chaired by the 3 reporters assigned to the 3 applications. The Inquiry will take place during the months of May and June 2023.

The KC’s and solicitors for the 3 applicants were present along with a KC and planning officer for South Ayrshire Council. Other attendees included NatureScot, Glasgow Prestwick Airport, Galloway Biosphere, Crosshill, Kirkmichael and Straiton Community Council, Dailly Community Council, Save Straiton and some other interested parties.

Save Straiton had proposed that the issue of noise and shadow flicker should be dealt with over 4 days (a day for each and a further day for the cumulative impact). The reporters did not agree and proposed that 2 days of a virtual session would be adequate. Save Straiton was allowed to provide further information on this issue for the 3^rd February 2023 to support the request for more time and a real inquiry session. This submission has been made and the reporters have yet to feedback on this matter.

Of real concern was the issue of residential amenity and the reporters allowed an increase proposed by Save Straiton in the number of site visits on what had initially been proposed by the reporters. The number of site visits will be a sample of the considerable number of residences in the Girvan Valley to gauge the level of the impacts on residential amenity. Save Straiton has sought to have the impacts of noise and shadow flicker assessed as part of the site visits and not limited to visual amenity.

Of note is that NatureScot has now withdrawn its objection to the 3 applications on the basis of the impact on the Merrick Wild Land. They have done this following their review of the National Planning Framework 4, now adopted by Scottish Government, and their interpretation that wind power plants out with the wild land area can be permitted and the impact on the wild land area is irrelevant. Save Straiton will contest this interpretation of NPF4.

We will keep you up to date of further developments of the inquiry.

Thank you to all those that attended and spoke at the meeting on 27^th November. We hope you found the session useful and informative.

To recap, the schemes at Knockcronal, Carrick and Craiginmoddie are to be heard at a public enquiry in the new year. Save Straiton for Scotland will be appearing at the enquiry to present our opposition case. The application for the scheme at Sclenteuch is currently being considered by the Energy Consents Unit but no decision has been made yet.

Save Straiton for Scotland has submitted objections to all 4 schemes. To find out more about the schemes and read the Save Straiton for Scotland objections, click on the ‘Windfarms around Straiton’ on the menu at the top of this page.

On all schemes, there is still time for individuals to object. You can cite the reasons given in our objections, or set out your concerns in your own words.

You can e-mail The Scottish Government’s Energy Consent Unit;

econsents_admin@gov.scot quoting;

• Ref ECU00002181 for Knockcronal
• Ref ECU00003392 for Carrick
• Ref ECU00002196 for Craiginmoddie
• Ref ECU00003318 for Sclenteuch

You can e-mail / write to your local planning authorities;

planning.development@south-ayrshire.gov.uk for Knockcronal, Carrick, Craiginmoddie and Sclenteuch.

Planning & Development

South Ayrshire Council

Wellington Square

Ayr

KA7 1DR

submittoplanning@east-ayrshire.gov.uk for Sclenteuch.

Planning and Economic Development

East Ayrshire Council

Opera House

8 John Finnie Street

Kilmarnock

KA1 1DD

You can e-mail / write to your MP:

allan.dorans.mp@parliament.uk

Allan Dorans MP

House of Commons

London

SW1A 0AA

You can e-mail / write to your MSP:

elena.whitham.msp@parliament.scot

Elena Whitham MSP

The Scottish Parliament

Edinburgh

EH99 1SP

You can e-mail / write to your local Councillors:

Straiton           

• iain.campbell@south-ayrshire.gov.uk   
• brian.connolly@south-ayrshire.gov.uk
• william.grant@south-ayrshire.gov.uk   

Dailly & Barr   

• Alec.Clark@south-ayrshire.gov.uk       
• Gavin.Scott@south-ayrshire.gov.uk     
• peter.henderson@south-ayrshire.gov.uk         

Waterside      

• drew.filson@east-ayrshire.gov.uk        
• jennifer.hogg@east-ayrshire.gov.uk     
• elaine.stewart@east-ayrshire.gov.uk    

Thank you for your help, and wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Kind regards,

The Save Straiton for Scotland Team

Applications have been lodged with the Scottish Government’s Energy Consent Unit for

• Knockcronal (the old Linfairn site which was withdrawn in 2018) by Statkraft for 9 x 200m turbines,
• Carrick by Scottish Power Renewables for 17 x 200m turbines and
• Craiginmoddie (the old Hadyard Hill Extension which was withdrawn in 2018) for 18 x 200m turbines. 

Following objections by South Ayrshire Council, community councils and others the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division are proposing to hold a public enquiry in the new year to determine whether they should be consented.

Knockcronal and Carrick are situated at the head of the Girvan valley some 4 to 5km from Straiton. Both will have significant impacts on the Girvan valley and the community of Straiton. Craiginmoddie to the south of Crosshill on private forestry land will have significant impacts on Dailly and the wider landscape of South West Scotland which is already dominated by wind farms both operational and in the planning process.

The main issues of concern are:

• 200m turbines on high ground will have a significant impact on the landscape. The South Ayrshire Wind Capacity Study which was revised in 2018 recommended that turbines over 130m could not be accommodated in this landscape.
• Knockcronal and Carrick are very close to the Merrick Wild Land Area and will impact significantly on the setting of the wild land designation by introducing man made and moving features in the landscape
• Residences in the Girvan Valley will have dominating views of Knockcronal and Carrick. Dailly village will have views of most of the turbines from Craiginmoddie which will dominate the views from the village.
• All wind farms are close to residences and the potential for noise and shadow flicker leading to a deterioration of the enjoyment of properties. This could be exaggerated in the case of the Girvan valley and the funneling effect of any noise. Low frequency noise is a feature of the increased height of the turbines and can lead to health issues. Low frequency noise is often not considered by the applicants.
• Craiginmoddie in particular has several residences close to the proposed wind farm with the prospect of construction work taking place in their water catchment area.
• These wind farms cannot be considered in isolation as there are others in the application stage which will contribute to the adverse impacts on communities.
• Scotland produces its electricity mainly from renewables with a gas fired station at Peterhead used as a backup when the wind does not blow. There is therefore no need for these wind farms to reduce carbon emissions.
• Scotland already produces enough electricity to meet targets from those wind farms which are operational, repowering of existing wind farms and those approved and yet to become operational.

Besides these wind farms there is a further application which will impact on Straiton. RES have lodged an application with the Energy Consents Unit for Sclenteuch wind farm which will be in the forests to the west of the Dersalloch wind farm. This is a re-application of the Keirs Hill wind farm which was rejected in 2018 and will consist of 9 x 200m turbines. This application has the potential to impact visually on the setting of Straiton, the landscape, and affect residences close to the wind farm. Waterside and Patna will also be affected. These applications should be considered along with other wind farm applications:

• Clauchrie 18 x 200m turbines in South Ayrshire in the Galloway Forest has gone to public enquiry and the reporter’s decision is awaited
• South Kyle 50 x 200m turbines to the south of Dalmellington is under construction
• North Kyle approx. 50 x 200m turbines consented and yet to be built
• Knockkippen 12 x 200m turbines to the north of Waterside
• Knockdar approx. 17 x 200m turbines south of Barr merging with the Markhill wind farm at Barrhill

You are invited to a meeting on Sunday 27th November at 2pm at the McCandlish Hall, Straiton to discuss planning applications for the proposed Knockcronal, Carrick and Craiginmoddie windfarms. All local residents and other interested parties are welcome to attend to find out more about the schemes and also other wind farm applications which are coming in the area.