Finavon Estate to Appeal Wind Turbine Refusal
The owners of the Finavon Estate have confirmed that they will appeal the decision of Angus Council to refuse the application for a single turbine at the estate.
Mr Jeffrey Sanderson, the owner of the Estate, alongside their construction partner Kilmac Construction, submitted the application for a single 67m turbine with a generating capacity of 500KW in September last year.
The application, which is to be located on land around 5km north east of Forfar on the Finavon Hill Estate, was refused by Angus Council on 11th March using delegated powers.
The Estate, owned by Mr Sanderson since 1993, has undergone significant financial and management investment in recent years, with the construction of seven houses and the development of a successful shooting business running alongside the existing farming activity. There are also consented plans to develop a sporting lodge to meet the requirements of the expanding sporting business activities on the estate, which has the potential to create additional employment opportunities on the estate. It is hoped that the turbine would be able to significantly offset the estates costs and allow further investment in the business.
The scheme has received backing from a number of local businesses across various industries who note the potential to both guarantee existing jobs and create new ones, but also to enhance the local economy by sustaining and improving the varied commercial activity of the estate.
Mr Jeffrey Sanderson said:
“We are very disappointed with the decision of the Council as we feel that we have addressed their initial concerns and have put forward a strong planning case. We have been considering the development of a wind project on the estate since 2010 and remain committed to taking the application forward, and will appeal the Council’s decision.
The development of the turbine would help us to diversify our income streams and safeguard the long term future of the estate, allowing us to invest further in both farming and the construction of the consented sporting lodge. The Estate has become both a thriving community and key local business which continues to attract significant inward investment from abroad, which can only benefit the local economy.”
