Environmental firm SLR Consulting has successfully assisted RWE npower renewables in gaining planning permission for a 12 turbine wind farm at Stroupster in Caithness, Scotland.

Proposals for the 30MW wind farm were submitted to the Highland Council in 2005 but were initially considered to be contrary to the Council’s Renewable Energy Strategy policy.

A second application, with an extended Environmental Statement, prepared by SLR was submitted and following a public inquiry has now been consented.

SLR used its broad range of capabilities to prepare Further Environmental Information in respect of landscape, geology and peat, hydrology and archaeology. The company subsequently presented expert witness evidence to the public inquiry on landscape and visual impacts, which the reporter considered to be the key issues, as well as environmental issues related to building wind farms on peat.

SLR project manager Lindsey Guthrie said: “The Scottish Government has targets for 50 per cent of electricity generation to come from renewable sources by 2020.

SLR’s work satisfied the inquiry that the proposed wind farm would form a relatively simple and coherent visual element in the landscape, well related to the gently domed landform of the site.”

Notes to Editors:

SLR Consulting is one of the fastest growing and most profitable environmental consultancies in the UK, with over 900 employees working from 21 offices in the UK and Ireland, 25 in the North Americia and 10 in Australasia.

Key areas of SLR’s business are the energy and mining sector where it is involved with both the oil and gas industry and renewable power including wind, energy-from-waste, hydropower and biomass. SLR is also the leading consultant to the waste management industry in Europe and undertakes a significant amount of planning and environmental impact assessment work for major commercial developers. www.slrconsulting.com

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