OIC to consider revised guidance for wind turbine projects

Orkney Islands Council’s planning guidance for wind turbines is to be updated, with a public consultation planned for later this year.

This is in response to a rapid increase in planning applications for wind turbines received by the local authority — mainly for small and medium-sized machines.

Current guidance has been in place since 2008 when there were 26 planning applications for wind turbines in Orkney.

In 2011 there were 197 applications. The number for 2012 stood at 254 by mid July, with 64 applications in April alone.