The Highland Renewable Energy Strategy and Planning Guidelines (HRES) was formally approved at the Council meeting held on 4 May 2006 as Supplementary Planning Guidance to the policies of the Highland Structure Plan. The main thrust of the document is to identify the capacity in the Highlands for a range of renewable energy targets and provide locational guidance and support economic development.
For on-shore wind energy, a major component of HRES is the identification on maps of ‘prospective development zones’ for wind farms and the inclusion of Council policy and strategy statements for those. The policy framework includes a ‘sequential approach’. This no longer complies with national planning policy, which has changed. The Council therefore in May 2008 began preparing new policies and guidance for onshore wind energy. This will take the form of policies for renewable energy which are being incorporated in the Highland wide Local Development Plan (see Proposed Plan) and Supplementary Guidance on onshore wind energy. A report on progress was considered by the Council’s Planning, Environment and Development Committee on 22 September 2010; full draft Supplementary Guidance for public consultation is expected shortly.
The new policy and guidance will supersede parts of the strategy and planning guidelines of HRES relating to on-shore wind energy. It is important though to note that HRES and the Renewable Energy Resource Assessment on which it is based continue to provide an overarching strategy and much useful information to those involved in renewable energy development including onshore wind.
A copy of the 2006 approved Strategy, which incorporates associated Planning Guidance material, can be downloaded as a .pdf file from the Current Documents section to the right, as can the supporting Renewable Energy Resource Assessment (RERA) and maps, at A1 size, showing prospective development zones for national and major scale (fig 6.2.4) and local scale (fig 6.2.7) onshore wind farms.
Hard copies of the Strategy are also available.
Also available is a CD-ROM containing map-based software which facilitates selection of any 1km grid square in Highland and interrogation of the underlying layers which were used to arrive at the policy decision for that square. The CD also contains a copy of the Strategy and supporting RERA. The CD-ROM is available to Community Groups through the Highland Council at a cost of £25 (including postage). Companies can obtain the CD-ROM from Aquatera at a cost of £250.
To order copies of either of the above, please contact:
David Cowie,
Highland Council,
Planning & Development Service,
Glenurquhart Road,
Inverness,
IV3 5NX.
Telephone: (01463) 702 827
Email: devplans@highland.gov.uk
or
Maureen Brown,
Aquatera Ltd,
Stromness Business Centre,
Stromness,
Orkney,
KW16 3AW.
Telephone: (01856) 850 088
Email: office@aquatera.co.uk