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[YOUR ADDRESS]

[DATE - send immediately]

Mr Neil Duthie
Angus Council - Planning & Transportation
County Buildings
Market Street
FORFAR
Angus
DD8 3LG

Dear Mr Duthie

Ref: 08/00426/FUL Objection to Planning Application by Airtricity Ltd for Mile Hill Wind farm by Kingoldrum, nr Kirriemuir

I object to Mile Hill Wind Farm for the following reasons:

1. Damage to the amenity of the area

• The proposed wind farm will seriously affect the amenity of everyone living in the Quharity Glen area or visiting the Quharity Glen

• One of the joys of the Quharity Glen is to walk in an area which is largely unspoilt

• The Quharity Glen is a rare tranquil Glen which is popular due to its unspoilt nature

• I believe that the Quharity Glen - tucked immediately to the north of Mile Hill - is too highly valued to locate a wind farm in this area

• The development would have a significant cumulative adverse effect on the landscape, character and visual beauty due to its proximity to Alyth's Drumderg Wind Farm and Glamis's recently approved Ark Hill

• This landscape cannot absorb six 100.5m turbines, seven borrow pits, tracks and associated infrastructure, however well designed. The landscape is of an extremely high quality

• Building six turbines which will each be just 10 cm smaller than the towers of the Forth Rail Bridge and will be visible for miles will damage the wide views which are prime features leading into the Angus Glens

• The historic Airlie Monument is 19.5m tall; putting six 100.5 m industrial turbines will significantly damage the wide views from miles around which are a prime feature of this area

• Six large, moving, wind turbines will seriously depreciate the character of the area for many miles around

• Six turbines of total height 100.5m with 70m diameter blades will be extremely conspicuous, from all over the hills and well beyond. The scale of the turbines will be overwhelming and will dominate the landscape to an unacceptable degree

• The construction of the wind farm will involve the laying of roadways, digging quarries for tracks and concrete and construction of large deep concrete bases over open countryside, all of will affect the ecology and watercourses over a large area, with possible pollution of watercourses adjacent to the site. These water courses go on to feed the river South Esk which is protected as an Special Area of Conservation

• It is not acceptable that landscape of this quality should be used as a site for such a conspicuous and inappropriate industrial development

• Government targets for tens of thousands of turbines threaten much of our very finest landscape, which includes this location.

2. Adverse effect on tourism

• This development would have a significantly adverse effect on the use and enjoyment of these natural heritage locations

• Tourists and visitors will be deterred from visiting this peaceful scenic area

• Many people who enjoy the area - e.g. walkers, anglers and wildlife watchers - will not be aware of the proposal. It was only advertised locally and we know that many local people who will be affected where unaware of the proposal

• The presence of a wind farm overshadowing this scenic area will be detrimental to the local economy. Visitors would spend their money going elsewhere

• The proposed development will adversely affect efforts by Angus Council and others to encourage the tourist industry to the Glens as this is largely based upon the quiet appreciation of the countryside and its views by walkers and others. These are the people who are most likely to be upset and off-put by the intrusion of the turbines

3. Loss of wildlife

• Birds would be killed by turbines and their habitats disturbed

• Important birds breed near to here. They would be at risk of hitting the turbines, or driven off by the construction activity and ongoing noise and vibration

• There are vulnerable birds here, the following protected birds are a few of the important birds recorded within the Quharity Glen: Golden Eagle, Osprey, Buzzard

• The developers consider the potential loss of habitats, and bird strikes, to be negligible. The loss of a single bird, when their numbers are already so sparse will have long term implications for breeding numbers

• But what is negligible in terms of wild life damage and habitat destruction to a commercial power supplier is not negligible to those who visit the Glen and work to conserve their habitats.

4. Noise, pollution and safety

• Wind turbines produce penetrating low-frequency noise pollution, day and night, which makes some physically ill

• The noise level is estimated by Airtricity to be between 35 and 45 decibels at source - rural night time noise is between 20 and 40 decibels at its height and a quiet bedroom is 35 - and this noise is continuous

• Broken blades and ice blocks flung in winter, are hazardous to local residents, visitors and wildlife

• The proximity of the turbines to the narrow undulating road along the Quharity Glen with its steep edges is likely to create a serious distracting hazard to motorists

• The construction traffic will cause a large amount of disruption through residential streets, causing delays, noise, dust and fumes, parking restrictions and unseen damage to buildings and roads due to the weight and number of Heavy Goods Vehicles

• Roads will be closed by Traffic Management schemes for delivery of over 150 Abnormal Loads (44m long 2.5m wide and 4.2m high)

• The presence of the additional 6000 plus vehicles during the construction phase is unacceptable for the narrow local roads

• The HGV's and Abnormal Loads will be frighteningly large, intimidating and noisy in the narrow roads particularly for the elderly, mothers with youngsters and children

• HGV's and other construction traffic will be a particular danger to cyclists who will be particularly vulnerable on the narrow roads

• There would appear to be concern over aviation safety as regards effects on guidance systems and on the physical size of the structures for the RAF who use the area for training.

5. Harm to Housing

• Continuous noise will cause personal distress

• TV interference is likely

• The value and saleability of surrounding properties will be diminished

6. Unsatisfactory economics and employment

• There will be little work for local people. After construction there will be no permanent local jobs and in view of the likely disproportionate damage to the tourist industry, there will be a net loss of jobs in the area

• Saving energy by insulation is more cost-effective than generating it by wind turbines. This development will not make any significant contribution to the national production of power - it is not an economic proposition without artificial, politically motivated, subsidies

• This is one of the most expensive ways to generate electricity

• The saving in CO2 pollution must be weighted against the energy used in making, transporting and erecting the turbines as well as site preparation. This must be considerable

• There can be no guarantee that when the turbines come to the end of their natural life there will be the resources to remove them

• What are the likely benefits of this proposal?
  The planning department will not accept objections based upon disagreement to policy regarding renewable energy. The crucial question is whether building this wind farm in this are strikes a proper balance between Government energy targets and the despoiling and destruction of notable natural and beautiful Glens

• The electricity produced will be minimal, having a theoretical installed capacity of 12 Megawatts per year but even the wind industry agree that, because wind is erratic and unreliable only about 30% of that is produced. Is 3 Megawatts of energy worth ruining this Glen?

7. Against Planning Policy

• The Angus Local Plan records that wind farms "along the highland boundary fault line or on coastal locations are unlikely to be suitable, primarily because of visual sensitivity"

• The access route to the site goes through quiet countryside, which should be protected from the vast construction phase and daily visits by wind farm staff

• Industrial structures such as wind farms should be in appropriate locations. Industrial estates are often good locations. They are close to users of power, and there is often sufficient background noise from the industry that the extra noise from the turbines is masked.

8. Precedent

• Airtricity doesn't need to be on this site - it is just that the site was offered to them for development

• If planning consent is granted, it could set a precedent for a multitude of similar, ineffective and inefficient wind farms throughout the Angus Glens and the surrounding countryside. Glen Isla, Glen Prosen and Glen Clova may not be safe.

For all the above reasons, I urge the Angus Council to reject this application.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME & SIGNATURE]