Islands council opposes plans for up to 60 wind turbines off Lewis

Western Isles councillors have objected to plans for a large offshore wind farm off the west coast of Lewis.

The proposed Spiorad na Mara (SnM) project would have up to 60 turbines that would stand about 985ft (300m) tall.

Developer Northland Power said it would generate enough power to meet the average annual electricity needs of more than a million homes.

The plans were opposed at a meeting of the full council of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar on Thursday. The Scottish government will have the final say on the project.

The comhairle said the project's significant adverse effects on landscape, seascape, and the historic environment "outweigh any positive contribution to renewable energy generation and climate change targets".

The local authority said it recognised the importance of maximising renewable energy generation, but this should "not be at any cost".

The comhairle's planning committee had previously agreed to raise an objection.

In a report to councillors, officials said there was "overwhelming evidence" the development would be "detrimental to the character, quality and enjoyment of the north west coast of the Isle of Lewis".

It said that the harm caused would not be acceptable and there was no way to mitigate the impact.

Planning officers also raised questions about the environmental impact assessment provided by Northland Power.

They said it did not enable "robust and systematic assessment" of the likely significant environmental effects of the project as a whole.

Following the planning committee's decision last week, Northland Power said it respected the comhairle's role in the process, and thanked all those who participated and shared their views.

A spokesperson said: "Once the council has submitted its response to the Marine Directorate licensing and operations team, it will be carefully reviewed by the project team alongside all consultation feedback to ensure we fully understand and can respond to the concerns being raised.

"The planning process is designed to consider a range of perspectives, and we will continue to participate constructively in that process."

The spokesperson added that the company's focus remained on developing a project to the "highest environmental standards".