Wind firm blows locals' goodwill but vows to talk more 'next time'
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WIND farm developers accused of running roughshod over planning rules by frustrated Easter Ross residents have vowed to consult more in future.
Coire Na Cloiche Windfarm LLP made the pledge after Ardross Community Council members accused it of beginning work to modify a popular commuter route without the consultation demanded by council planners.
On January 15, a three-week road closure order came into force on the Golf Course Road, which runs between the B9176 Struie Road at Achandunie and Alness and acts as a link for residents in nearby Ardross.
The closure, which runs from 8am to 5.30pm, is taking place to improve the roads ahead of construction work on the new Coire Na Cloiche wind farm.
But the first that Ardross Community Council members claim they heard about the route closure was when signs went up days before the work began.
They say the developer ignored planning conditions which said a community liaison group must be set up to keep residents in the loop over possible disruption.
Ardross Community Council secretary John Edmondson said this month’s road works were a clear breach of that condition. "There was meant to be a traffic consultation body but the developer had done nothing about this," he said. "Had it been in place [some of this disruption might have been avoided]. It’s a really big inconvenience for the sake of one hour extra in the morning. It lacks common sense."
He said residents recognised the work was needed but that consultation would have minimised the inconvenience.
He said that it was a busy road for commuters, a recognised school bus route and was also one of the council’s gritting routes and that residents felt starting work at 9am after the morning rush would have made more sense. Cloire Na Cloiche Windfarm LLP has promised to consult more closely in the future.
Director and partner in the firm, Henrik Christensen, said: "This has now been satisfactorily discussed with the contractors last week to meet the optimal solution, and the Community Liaison Group is now in session to continuously communicate with Ardross Community Council [going] forward related to all transport logistics which relate to the Coire Na Cloiche Windfarm deliveries to take place in the period from April to October.
"It is our aim to create an absolute minimal disturbance to the normal traffic patterns on the roads of concern.
"We managed transport logistics to perfection, when we in 2009 built the Beinn Nan Oighrean Windfarm, located on the same access road tracks, so we hope this will be the case too for the Coire Na Cloiche Windfarm."
The developers aim to complete the wind farm and begin exporting its first electricity to the national grid by October.
Highland Council said that contractors working on the road works had previously discussed the closure with "council road staff and consulted the school, the bus service, the emergency services, the golf course and the residents on the road and had circulated a letter regarding the road closure".
But they also acknowledged that councillors and Ardross Community Council "were unfortunately omitted from [the contractors’] consultation list".
They stressed that the closure had not affected gritting operations and added that residents along the route were still given access to their properties during the work.
The council apologised on behalf of its community services department and the contractor for any confusion suffered and said the roadworks would "reduce the maintenance costs to community services".
