Scottish Land Court Rules in Favour of Edinbane Wind Farm

AMEC logo AMEC have received the Scottish Land Court's decision to rule in favour of the company's proposed Edinbane Wind Farm on the Isle of Skye. It is expected construction will begin later in the year or early in 2005.

The land court hearing had been viewed as a test case for both developers and crofters as it was the first application to the court to take common grazing land out of crofting use in order to build a wind farm.

The decision will allow construction of the northern area of the proposed wind farm to proceed and should also set the scene for the Crofting Commission to free up land on the adjacent Glen Vic Askill Estate to allow construction of the southern section of the development.

AMEC commented they have been working closely with the landowner and crofters at Edinbane for almost a decade and are delighted that the Land Court has decided in favour of 'resumption' - taking the common grazing land out of crofting use - on the terms and conditions agreed with the majority of crofters over a year ago. They also stated that the outcome of the Land Court hearing brings the proposed wind farm and related rental payments closer to realisation providing confidence for AMEC to progress the development of wind farms on crofted land in other parts of Scotland.

Planning permission for the project was received in November 2002 and, following protracted negotiation, detailed terms and conditions for the planning agreement were agreed in May 2004.

In November 2002, AMEC's proposals for a 27-turbine wind farm to situated 2.4km south of the village of Edinbane on the Isle of Skye, where granted planning permission by the Highland Council following extensive public and specialist consultation. The wind farm, which has been in the development since 1995, is expected to have a capacity in excess of 47 MW, producing enough clean renewable energy to meet the needs of over 68,000 people.

AMEC's wind energy business workds with AMEC's regional businesses in the UK and Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. In the UK alone, the business has a 10 year track record of innovative development which has included the first offshore wind farm at Blyth, Northumberland and the current co-promotion of a 600MW project on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland.