Cnoc an Eas Wind Farm Application Submitted

The application for Cnoc an Eas wind farm at Glen Urquhart has been submitted to The Highland Council. Force 9 Energy is confident the changes made in the scale and design have helped address the concerns of statutory consultees and the local community.

Development Manager Andrew Smith explained: “We knew from our consultation that there were two viewpoints which were causing concern and this was a major focus in our redesign.

“We were therefore heartened when the majority of visitors to the second round of public exhibitions confirmed the changes to the design were a significant improvement.”

The application is for a 13 turbine wind farm, reduced from 17 turbines, on a site at Cnoc an Eas, north of Loch Meiklie.  Please see the planning application documents on the Cnoc an Eas page on our website. 

The final design follows an extensive consultation exercise including two rounds of public exhibitions in November and March.

Force 9 Energy plan to maintain their commitment to ensuring local people have a say by providing printed copies of the Application locally, at Cannich Post Office, Glenurquhart Library and Learning Centre and Kiltarlity Post Office. These are in addition to the copies which will be made available at the Council Planning Offices and sent directly to five local Community Councils.

The Cnoc an Eas wind farm would generate enough clean, renewable electricity to supply around 30,000 homes and help reduce reliance on burning fossil fuels.

The project has been assessed by independent specialists to evaluate aspects such as noise, nature conservation, archaeology and landscape and visual impact.  Force 9 Energy has also consulted with statutory organisations such as Scottish Natural Heritage, Historic Scotland and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Cnoc an Eas wind farm is being developed by experienced UK developer, Force 9 Energy, working in partnership with EDF Energy Renewables (EDF ER). If the project is consented, EDF ER would build, own and operate the wind farm.

Force 9 Energy’s development partner, EDF ER, has an established track record of giving as much work as possible to local contractors.   Andrew Smith commented: “Force 9 Energy and EDF ER share a desire to see local people and businesses benefit as much and for as long as possible from our projects. For example, in the case of EDF ER’s 13 turbine Burnhead wind farm, near Falkirk, almost 60 percent of the civil work is being carried out by local contractors. In total over £3.5 million will have been spent in the local economy once the wind farm is fully built.” 

Local businesses who attended the Cnoc an Eas ‘Meet the Buyer’ event in April, heard details of the significant economic benefits that  the wind farm could bring to the Glen Urquhart area and the range of opportunities for local businesses from accommodation providers, tradesmen, and vehicle hire companies to civil engineering firms.

Force 9 Energy has successfully gained consent for six wind farm projects. Four of these are fully operational, and a fifth wind farm is currently under construction. They also have three projects in the planning process.  Their completed wind farms are at Berry Burn in Moray, Mark Hill in South Ayrshire, Alltwalis in Carmarthen and Barmoor in Northumberland.