Mellock Hill

Summary

Current status : In appeal, awaiting decision.
Location : Southern edge of the Ochil Hills, 8 km west of Kinross, SCOTLAND
Number of turbines : 14
Expected capacity : 28 MW
Planning authority : Perth and Kinross Council
Project manager : Steve Salt, West Coast Energy

A Planning Application has been submitted to Perth and Kinross Council for the development of a wind farm to generate electricity on public and privately owned land. The development proposal lies on the east and southern edge of the Ochil Hills, 8 km west of Kinross and 4 km north of Crook of Devon. The terrain consists of rolling hills, the highest of which is Innerdouny Hill at 497 m. About one third of the site, the northern section, is situated in commercial forestry. Other than isolated properties, the nearest settlement is Crook of Devon which is approximately 4 km to the south.

There are scatted areas of improved pasture across the area, however, the land is generally of low fertility and rough pasture, coniferous forestry and heath moorland dominate. Settlements are limited to isolated farmsteads and dwellings. The proposed site landscape is rural and undeveloped in character, with a sequence of rounded rolling hills, whereupon the land use is mainly sheep grazing. To the east of Mellock Hill much of the site is covered in dense commercial forest, which rises up Hog Rigg to Innerdouny Hill, then falls again towards the upper reaches of the Water of May.

It is proposed to install up to 14 wind turbines generators of approximately 2 MW individual capacity. Each turbine will be mounted on a tapered tubular steel tower and consist of a nacelle containing the gearbox, generator and associated equipment (e.g. transformer) to which are attached a hub and rotor assembly including three glass fibre-reinforced polyester blades. The potential generation capacity of the wind farm will be up to 28 MW.