Deadline extended for comments on ‘Orkney’s Community Wind Farm Project - Hoy’

The deadline date for submission of comments to the Scottish Government on proposed plans for a six turbine, council-owned wind farm at Wee Fea in Lyness, has been extended until March.

The move is due to Covid related delays in a site visit and a request received by the Scottish Government from a consultee for an extension.

Members of the public wishing to support, or object to the proposals therefore now have until 9 March to do so.

The Scottish Government has called in the ‘Orkney’s Community Wind Farm Project – Hoy’ planning application for determination, which means that Scottish Ministers will now be responsible for making the final decision on whether or not to grant planning permission for the project.

The proposed project is one part of Orkney's Community Wind Farm Project, which could also see council-owned wind farm developments Quanterness and on Faray.

The Quanterness planning application was also called in in March last year and a decision from Ministers is awaited.

The Council requested that the Scottish Government call in the applications - principally based on the potential national significance of the project.

The project is considered to be of national significance because of the potential for a direct influence on a new subsea interconnector between Orkney and the Scottish Mainland which has been identified in the National Planning Framework 3 (NPF3) as a National Development.

A new interconnector would make a significant contribution in meeting national net-zero carbon emissions targets and would follow on from the Scottish Government and local authorities across Scotland (including Orkney Islands Council) declaring a Climate Emergency.

In September 2019, the electricity market regulator, Ofgem, published its final decision on the needs case for the new interconnector, setting out that planning permission for 135MW of new generation was required and that this would require to be signed up to a grid connection agreement, and pass a financial audit before the end of 2021 in order to trigger the interconnector.

Full documentation for the Hoy proposal is free to view on the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) website

On accessing the website, enter the case reference CIN-ORK-002 in the ‘Search by case reference’ box to find all documents relating to this case.

Copies of the EIA report may also be purchased from Development and Infrastructure, Orkney Islands Council, Town House, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AA at a cost of £1,250.00 (including printing and distribution) for a paper copy or £15.00 for a USB for PDF screen viewing and can be arranged by emailing Sweyn Johnston

Any person who wishes to make representations to Scottish Ministers now needs to make them in writing by 9 March 2021 (quoting reference CIN-ORK-002) to:

The Planning and Environmental Appeals Division, Scottish Government, Ground Floor, Hadrian House, Callendar Business Park, Callendar Road, Falkirk FK1 1XR or by e-mail to Jayne Anderson.

Members of the public who took part in the pre-application process are reminded that comments or views submitted during that period were to the applicant and for the pre-application report only. Should they still wish to support or object to the project they also need to make their views known to the DPEA, as described above.

A planning application for the Faray project is due to be submitted early this year and the Council will also request that Scottish Ministers call in that application.