Windfarm borrow pit wins approval

Plans to excavate a borrow pit in a remote area of upland Moray were approved by councillors today.

EDF Energy Renewables were granted a two-year consent for digging and then restoring the pit at the site of the Dorenell windfarm at the Cabrach.

Three of the 11 members of Moray Council’s planning and regulatory services committee voted against the application on the grounds that it would impact adversely on an area of great landscape value

It is anticipated that around 80,000 cubic metres of stone will be excavated for use at the site of the 59-turbine windfarm.

Today’s committee meeting was told that the pit would provide most or all of the rock material required during the construction of the windfarm.

“This would prevent the costly and unnecessary import of materials and large number of HGV movements to and from the site on the public road,” said a report to committee.

The meeting heard that the nearest occupied dwelling was 3.2km away from the site of the borrow pit.

“While it is a large borrow pit and likely to host a period of intensive material extraction, it benefits from being in a remote location out of sight of any public roads or residences,” said the report.

Moray Council area stretches from Tomintoul in the south to the shores of the Moray Firth, from Keith in the east to Forres in the west. The council and its 4,500 employees respond to the needs of 95,510 residents in this beautiful part of Scotland, which nestles between Aberdeenshire and the Highlands.

Famous for its colony of dolphins, fabulous beaches and more malt whisky distilleries than any where else in Scotland, Moray is a thriving area and a great place to live.

Headquartered in  Elgin, the administrative capital of Moray.