AN ENERGY company has withdrawn its application to build a 29-turbine windfarm on a site important for a threatened bird of prey.
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) said the development of the project at Waterhead Moor near Largs, Ayrshire, had faced “a range of construction and planning challenges”.
Part of the planned site was in a special protection area (SPA) and site of special scientific interest designated because of its importance for hen harriers.
The RSPB welcomed the news of the withdrawal as “fantastic”.
SSE said the proposal was initiated before the site was designated a European SPA, which “added complexity”.
It said the decision to withdraw the proposal for the 72.5MW windfarm was taken following extensive consultation with key stakeholders and in consideration of investment priorities.
SSE director of onshore renewables David Gardner said: “This site had the wind resource and the site dynamics to be a very good project, but having listened to the concerns of the key consultees we have concluded that the reasonable action to take is to focus our resources on onshore windfarms elsewhere.
The RSPB said the proposal would have harmed the site.
It said the hen harrier is one of the UK’s most persecuted birds of prey and is designated “red status”, meaning it has the highest conservation priority.
Aedan Smith, head of planning and development at RSPB Scotland, applauded SSE’s decision.