December 2021 – Planning application submitted for Ben Sca Wind Farm Extension

Located in the north-west of the Isle of Skye, approximately 2.5km to the south-west of Edinbane and 7km east of Dunvegan, the seven turbine Ben Sca Wind Farm was consented by the Highland Council in December 2020. The planning application for the consented project originally sought permission for a nine turbine scheme, arranged in a single row. This original scheme was subsequently reduced to seven turbines in response to feedback from the Highland Council, with consideration to the potential landscape impact of the turbines located on the higher slopes of Ben Sca.

Following a review of the Council’s feedback and other consultation responses to the Ben Sca Wind Farm planning application, the potential for a nine turbine scheme was revisited, to enhance the efficiency and associated benefits of the wind farm. As a result, the extension proposal consists of two turbines located at the bottom of the consented row, on lower ground and within the forest, to minimise landscape and visual impacts.

The two additional turbines would be known as the Ben Sca Wind Farm Extension and would deliver approximately an additional 8.4MW of installed capacity. In order to present a balanced design with the seven consented turbines and clear the tree canopy, it is proposed that the additional two turbines would have a tip height of 149.9m, while retaining the same rotor diameter as the consented turbines. The extension turbines would be accessed from the A850, sharing the site entrance and access tracks with the consented seven turbines and the existing Ben Aketil Wind Farm.

Based on a capacity of 8.4MW, the proposed extension would have the potential to generate sufficient renewable energy to meet the needs of over 8,000 homes and contribute an additional £42,000 per annum to the community benefit fund provided by the project. Consistent with the consented Ben Sca application, the community benefit fund will offer those living within 4km of the wind farm the opportunity to reduce their energy bills or a contribution towards home energy efficiency improvements. As part of this, the project will also consider contributions to a potential Skye-wide fund to ensure that benefits are realised across the island.

If consented, the two additional turbines would also form part of the community share ownership offering that was discussed with the local development trusts and Local Energy Scotland in early 2019. This offers the local community the opportunity to invest in the project whereby the community would receive up to 5% of the project net profit after tax in return for their investment. This arrangement is in line with the Scottish Government’s Good Practice Principles for Shared Ownership of Onshore Renewable Energy Developments.

The application documents, including the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report, are available to view via the Highland Council Planning Portal (https://wam.highland.gov.uk/wam/).

Due to the proximity to the end of the year, the planning application will be advertised in the local press in early January 2022, to allow the public consultation period to take place without being interrupted by the festive period.