Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser has welcomed news that the Scottish Government will create wind turbine conservation zones, but has stressed that more needs to be done to protect rural areas.
The latest draft planning policies for the first time prohibit wind farms in the near-20 per cent of the country which has national park or a scenic area status.
Under the proposals, in addition to the fifth of areas – 19 per cent – that will see a blanket ban, councils will not be able to approve any development in the overall total of 31 per cent of land given wilderness status unless “any impacts on wild land can be substantially overcome by siting, design or mitigation”.
Commenting Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“These proposals are a step in the right direction but by no means represent the end game in legislating for the protection of scenic and rural areas.
“The concern for many residents is that developers will increase the pressure on the remaining available land, resulting in oversaturation in some areas.
“In my constituency, Mid-Scotland and Fife, the Perthshire countryside has been swamped by the erection of wind turbines much to the displeasure of rural residents.
“There is a danger that the whole Highland Perthshire landscape will become dominated by industrial wind turbine developments. This is not the natural environment many locals and visitors wish to see.
“There have been 44,000 individual objections to wind turbines since the SNP came to power which underlines the strong levels of public discomfort at the spread of inefficient and expensive wind turbines.”