Supreme Court denies request to appeal against Clashindarroch II Wind Farm
The UK Supreme Court has refused to allow an appeal against the Scottish Government’s award of planning permission for a wind farm on the border between Moray and Aberdeenshire.
The Clashindarroch II Wind Farm proposal, located between Huntly and Dufftown, consists of 14 turbines each with a tip height of 180 metres.
The turbines are expected to produce enough fossil-free electricity to meet the equivalent demand of more than 55,000 UK households.
Proposals were submitted in January 2020 and consent was awarded in June 2023.
However, the matter has gone before the courts four times including the most recent request to appeal from Wildcat Haven. Consent has been upheld on each occasion.
Vattenfall, the firm behind the proposal, is now calling for a change to the judicial review process.
Matt Bacon, Vattenfall’s head of onshore wind market development UK, said: “This protracted process demonstrates why changes to streamline the judicial review process and prevent vexatious challenges are so urgently needed.
“I now look forward to seeing Clashindarroch II build on the success of our existing Clashindarroch wind farm, which has been generating electricity for 10 years with no negative impact on the Scottish Wildcat population.
“Once operational, the wind farm will take Vattenfall’s funding to the local community to over £800,000 annually, as well as funding new projects which will support Scottish Wildcats and other species.”
Wildcat Haven has been approached for comment.