THE FUTURE POLICY for onshore win energy production in Moray is to be the subject of a nine-week long public consultation.
Draft guidance produced by The Moray Council seeks to update their policy framework produced three years ago – which now needs to be changed to comply with Scottish planning policy.
The new guidance also seeks to identify a ‘spatial framework’ within the Moray Local Development Plan and identify areas likely to be the most appropriate and offering the greatest potential for wind turbine developments.
The Moray wind energy landscape capacity study has also been updated and has been incorporated into the guidance as an appendix to the main guidance document, enabling it to form part of the statutory local development plan.
The landscape capacity study has refined the landscape sensitivities taking into consideration recent developments and has also investigated the potential of larger turbines being developed in Moray.
The guidance aims to set out establish the council’s approach to considering and determining planning applications and for making observations on development proposals to the Scottish Government.
It will also seek the information requirements and issues to be addressed at pre-application and application stages, establish the council’s overall strategy for wind turbine development, including spatial framework and detailed policy guidance maps for three typologies of turbine development.
Anyone can make representations on the content of the draft supplementary guidance but representations must be made by 5pm on November 14 to Development Plans, Development Services, Moray Council, PO Box 6760, Elgin, IV30 9BX or e-mailed to localdevelopmentplan@moray.gov.uk
A drop in session will also be held in New Elgin Hall on Monday, October 17.
The guidance can be viewed on the council’s website.
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