Balnespick Wind Farm, East of Tomatin - Planning Application

Fred. Olsen Renewables Ltd

ELECTRICITY ACT 1989

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (SCOTLAND) ACT 1997

THE ELECTRICITY WORKS (ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT)

(SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 2017

Notice is hereby given that Fred. Olsen Renewables Ltd, (the Company) with company registration number 13633932 and its Registered Office at 2nd Floor, 36 Broadway, Westminster, London, SW1H 0BH, has applied to the Scottish Ministers for consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to construct and operate Balnespick Wind Farm ("the proposed Development"), east of Tomatin within the planning authority area of the Highland Council (Central Grid Reference 286646 829834). It will have a generating capacity exceeding 50 MW and will comprise of up to nine turbines with maximum ground to blade tip heights of 200 m and a battery and energy storage system. The proposed Development has been subject to Environmental Impact Assessment and an EIA report has been produced to accompany the application for consent.

Fred. Olsen Renewables Ltd has also applied for a direction under Section 57(2) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 that planning permission for the proposed Development be deemed to be granted.

A copy of the application, with a plan showing the land to which it relates, together with a copy of the EIA Report discussing the Company's proposals in more detail and presenting an analysis of the environmental implications, is available for public inspection, free of charge on the application website https://www.balnespickwindfarm.co.uk/ or on the Scottish Government Energy Consents website at www.energyconsents.scot under application reference ECU00004904.

The EIA Report is also available for public inspection in person, free of charge at:

Copies of the EIA report may be obtained from Fred. Olsen Renewables Ltd (email: communities@fredolsen.com) at a charge of £1,800 hard copy and £15 on CD or USB. Copies of a Non-Technical Summary are available free of charge.

Any representations to the application may be submitted to the Scottish Ministers via the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit, either via the website at https://www.energyconsents.scot/Register.aspx; by email to representations@gov.scot; or by post to Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit, 4th Floor, 5 Atlantic Quay, 150 Broomielaw, Glasgow, G2 8LU, identifying the proposed Development and specifying the grounds for representation. Please note that there may be a delay in the Energy Consents Unit receiving representations by post.

Written or emailed representations should be dated, clearly stating the name (in block capitals) and full return email and postal address of those making representations. Only representations sent by email to representations@gov.scot will receive acknowledgement.

All representations should be received not later than 29 March 2025, although the Scottish Ministers may consider representations received after this date.

Any subsequent additional information which is submitted by the Company will be subject to further public notice in this manner, and representations on such information will be accepted as per this notice.

As a result of a statutory objection from the relevant planning authority, or where they decide to exercise their discretion to do so, the Scottish Ministers can also cause a public inquiry to be held.

Following examination of the environmental information, the Scottish Ministers will determine the application for consent in one of two ways:

• Consent the proposed Development with or without conditions attached; or

• Reject the proposed Development.

General Data Protection Regulations

The Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit processes consent applications and consultation representations under the Electricity Act 1989. During the process, to support transparency in decision making, the Scottish Government publishes online at www.energyconsents.scot. A privacy notice is published on the help page at www.energyconsents.scot. This explains how the Energy Consents Unit processes your personal information. If you have any concerns about how your personal data is handled, please email Econsents_admin@gov.scot or write to Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit, 4th Floor, 5 Atlantic Quay, 150 Broomielaw, Glasgow. G2 8LU.