Council taxpayers in Perthshire have been left facing a legal bill which could run over £100,000 in costs following the local council’s failure to approve an application for local wind farm.
Perth-based building, construction and haulage contractor I & H Brown applied for permission to build a wind farm at North Calliachar, near Amulree in Highland Perthshire.
Having first been proposed in 2004, Calliacher was repeatedly reject by councillors and local residents, who said they felt “under siege” from renewable energy developments.
An initial 27-turbine scheme was first rejected in 2007, only for I & H Brown to re-submit a revised 14-turbine plan.
When that was also rejected by the local authority, the developer took its case to Scottish ministers and after a lengthy and expensive public inquiry, Planning Reporter Dan Jackson granted permission for a 7-turbine wind farm last week.
While that decision was itself a ‘huge disappointment’ to the council, it now faces being landed with a significant bill to cover I. & H. Brown’s costs.
The sum levied against the council by Scottish ministers for its ‘stubborn opposition’ to the unpopular green power scheme could be significant. Final costs are still being assessed.
Even though I & H Brown Ltd has since sold the Calliachar Wind Farm project to SSE Renewables, Perth council is still liable to the firm for its costs because it won the ultimate planning appeal.
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