Bonhill councillor outlines fears over Vale of Leven windfarm proposals

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A large wind farm development in Bonhill could ruin the area’s natural beauty, a councillor has warned.Last week Coriolis Energy, the developer behind plans for the 10-turbine project on Auchenreoch Muir, held a drop-in session at Loch Lomond Rugby Club in Beechwood after concern from residents.Their plans would see turbines of up to 250m to tip in height and with a capacity of 70MW erected.

If approved they would be the largest onshore turbines in Scotland and could power more than 50,000 homes.However, Bonhill councillor Ian Dickson says the scale of the development isn’t right for the area – and called on people “not to fall for the greenwashing.”The SNP member said: “I share the fears of my constituents in and around the Vale over the planned construction of these colossal structures, so I was glad the developers agreed with my request to hold a public event in Bonhill last Thursday.“This location for a power plant was rejected by the council back when it was still up to them so it is discouraging that wind turbines are reappearing twice as big as the rejected plans and even closer to people’s homes now.“These megastructures are twice as high as the tallest building that even the city of Glasgow can offer in comparison.“I remain the council’s strongest advocate for energy efficiency and renewable energy generation, however, this is not the right scale of development, and it certainly does not belong right in our neighbourhoods.”Councillor Dickson also feels that the recent decision to remove historic electricity pylons on Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park land in Stirlingshire due to their visual impact sets a precedent that natural views must be protected.He continued: “Right now in the Loch Lomond and