Eighty metre mast used for windfarm planning to stay for another three years

AN 80 metre mast on the outskirts of Lerwick mast which is used to obtain meteorological data for a proposed wind farm is set to stay for a further three years.

The mast, which is part of preparatory work for Peel Energy’s Mossy Hill wind farm, has had its planning permission renewed.

It was erected near the Brig o Fitch after being given 24 months of planning permission in 2018.

The developer said renewing it for another three years is “critical to the continued development of the proposed wind farm”.

The Mossy Hill wind farm, which was approved by the council’s planning committee in 2019, could see 12 turbines built on land on the outskirts of Lerwick.

Each generator would have a maximum blade tip of 145 metres.

Peel said it sought a longer measuring period for the anemometry mast so it can model wind flow and its components – such as turbulence and storms – more accurately.

Granting renewal of the permission, planners said that the mast “will not have an impact on amenity as it has none of the features attributed to wind turbines that are considered to impact amenity, such as moving parts that can give rise to shadow flicker and noise”.