SSE to appeal Scottish Stronelairg wind farm ruling
LONDON (Reuters) - SSE will appeal a court decision that refused it consent to build a 240-megawatt wind farm near Loch Ness in Scotland, it said on Monday.
Scotland’s Energy Minister Fergus Ewing last year granted approval for the Stronelairg wind farm, which would be made up of 67 turbines.
Following complaints from an environmental charity, a judge at Scotland’s highest civil court, the Court of Session, this month ruled the government’s approval "defective" because it breached environmental obligations.
“We intend to appeal the ruling by the Court of Session,” SSE said in a statement.
“The project is in an ideal location and is situated in a natural bowl on a plateau set well back (around 10 kilometres) from Loch Ness. No turbines will be visible throughout the main tourist routes of the Great Glen or Loch Ness,” SSE said.
Landscape charity the John Muir Trust sought the review of the wind farms approval which it said would disturb the region’s wet peatland and could impact tourism.
Loch Ness, in the Scottish Highlands, is famous due to the legend of the Loch Ness monster where claimed sightings date back to 1933, Scotland's tourist board website said.
(Reporting by Susanna Twidale; editing by Jason Neely)
