Berry Burn 2
Known originally as Cairn Kitty Wind Farm, sitting as it does on the slopes of this iconic Moray landmark.
Berry Burn Windfarm is owned & operated by Statkraft of Norway in a joint venture with Gingko Tree (the sovereign wealth fund of China). Created in 2014 on the upper reaches of Altyre Estate it’s 20 turbines visually pollute vast tracts of Moray’s wild areas. Its all about Money and very little about Climate.
In 2019, Berry Burn wind farm received £8.4 million of Public cash (paid from our own power bills & taxes) with almost £6 million of that going directly into profits for its local land owners & foreign developers - in one year alone.
Money that should have gone into genuine initiatives to combat Climate change, including a mix of complimentary energy alternatives to minimise the vulnerability of a single intermittent option, to speeding up the insulation of homes & businesses and to improving green public transport.
Less than 2.5% of our own Public money, came back in Public benefit spread thinly across Moray.
Unsurprisingly given the bonanza, in August 2020 Berry Burn’s foreign owners launched a planning application to extend the development with a further 9 turbines to sit alongside Berry Burn 1, Pauls Hill 1 & 2, Clashgour and Rothes 1, 2 & 3. If all elements are ultimately approved this conglomeration will amount to 300 turbines within a 5 mile radius of the headwaters of the River Lossie. The natural upland landscape will be destroyed beyond all recognition, massive amounts of peat will be disturbed, drainage dynamics across the area risk being impacted, bringing further risk to fish stocks in the Findhorn & Lossie rivers and potentially increasing flood risks. A range of critically vulnerable species will be threatened by bird strikes or habitat loss - including hen harriers, red throated divers, ospreys, capercaillie & native Scottish wild cats
Genuine local employment during the 30 year operational phase is close to zero whereas the negative impact on local business & employment opportunities is huge.
The Moray area already generates more than 5 times the renewable energy we require, according to the developers themselves. Its inefficient to produce and particularly to move. The only justification for more is to line developers pockets.
If you want to register your concern about these gratuitous developments across our uplands, email representations@gov.scot quoting ECU 00000718
Who’s behind the Berry Burn Development
Berry Burn Windfarm is owned & operated by Statkraft of Norway in a joint venture with Gingko Tree (the sovereign wealth fund of China). The original Berry Burn planning application was managed by Force 9 Energy who handed over the development soon after permission was secured. Force 9 have now moved on to try to secure permission for the neighbouring Clashgour development that is described as a ‘wrap around’ of Berry Burn - not a prospect they mentioned during the initial applications, that’s for sure!
When asked how many full time Moray jobs this damaging development sustained, they were reluctant to answer. We think the answer is less than one! They do have a more effective Community scheme than their neighbours at Rothes & Paul’s Hill but it nevertheless amounts to pennies per Moray resident, who by contrast are contributing millions through Contracts for Difference & Constraint Payments, whilst seeing our natural landscape destroyed and the broad appeal of Moray damaged beyond recognition.
This development is being made possible by the collaboration of Altyre Estate.
Its too early to lodge any formal objection and its pointless trying to engage directly with developers but definitely worth making your views known to your Community Councillors & County Councillors, so they’re aware of local concern.
The most directly affected Community Councils are Finderne, Heldon (particularly the Dallas area) & Speyside
The Moray Councillors for the Clashgour area are Derek Ross & Louise Laing.
The Save Wild Moray team can be contacted on: hub@savewildmoray.com
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