Developers are urging residents to take a “partnership approach” to plans to build an east Perthshire windfarm.
Banks Renewables recently submitted a planning application to Perth and Kinross Council to erect an 80m-high wind monitoring mast on the Bandirran Estate, near Balbeggie, to test the area’s suitability for the proposed windfarm.
Representatives from the Hamilton-based developer have already been in contact with members of Burrelton and District, Inchture and Errol community councils to discuss the proposals to build eight 135m turbines on the 3600-acre estate.
Now Colin Anderson, development director at Banks Renewables, has pledged to continue to work with the communities affected by the proposals.
He told the Blairie: “Ideally, however, we would like active community participation in the project’s development, as our experience has shown this results in better outcomes for all concerned.
“To this end we are proposing to the local community councils that a partnership approach is adopted to take the project forward.”
Mr Anderson said locals could have a stake in the windfarm, which he claimed would enable them to plan long-term improvements to their towns and villages.
“There seems a genuine interest in the partnership idea, but of course people want to see the detail,” he said.
“We’ve therefore agreed to get this to them as soon as we can and hopefully this will pave the way for a meaningful discussion and an agreement on how best to move the project forward.”
PKC’s development management committee is expected to rule on the mast application next month.
