Approval for wind farm project

The Scottish Executive claims that this project will improve the local environment

The Scottish Executive has approved what has been hailed as the largest onshore wind farm to be constructed in Britain.

The Scottish Power scheme is to be built at Blacklaw, near Forth in Lanarkshire.

The 62 giant turbines should be operational in about a year's time.

Because the project is being created on the site of a former open-cast mine, the executive has claimed that it will improve the local environment.

The output from Blacklaw will be 142.6 megawatts, enough to meet the average electricity needs of 83,000 homes.

Deputy Enterprise Minister Lewis Macdonald insisted that the decision to grant consent on the proposal followed a lengthy consultation process.

He said: "This development will make a very significant contribution to meeting our targets for increased renewable energy."

Landscape opposition

The executive said that the plan has integrated nature conservation, renewable energy and other land uses on the derelict site.

Plans for wind farms have attracted vigorous local opposition, especially in more scenic parts of Scotland's landscape.

The pressure group Views of Scotland has alleged that greater regulation is needed to balance the needs of power generation with the detrimental impact on the environment.

It has claimed that what it called the uncoordinated and unbalanced rush into wind power has stifled other forms of renewable energy by diverting investment from them.