Perth-based insurance giant Aviva has been granted planning permission to erect a near 77-metre high turbine near its Pitheavlis headquarters.
The company says once the new turbine is built and working in conjunction with existing renewable infrastructure at the site such as solar panels, their offices will be 100 per cent powered by renewable energy.
The approval comes two years after Aviva was denied consent to put up a similar sized turbine closer to its offices over concerns raised by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) the structure would have an adverse impact on the setting of the category A-listed buildings.
HES said the company’s second application was less of a concern as it now intends to position the turbine 160 metres further away from the main buildings but NatureScot did say it felt the structure’s new proposed location was a “poor” one.
The body told Perth and Kinross Council in comments submitted in April this year: “We welcome Aviva’s ambitions to help to tackle climate change and their commitments to achieve net zero carbon emissions from their estate by 2030.
“However we advise that this proposal would result in likely significant landscape and visual effects on the residents and visitors to Perth from within the city, its surroundings and from the major tourist routes running past the city.
“Due to the proposed turbine’s elevated and prominent location above the city our advice is this is not a good location to site a turbine.”
Addressing those concerns PKC said in its report of handling: “There are significant benefits that renewable energy generation will bring to the Aviva site and its net zero ambitions including decarbonising heat and transport opportunities that accord with Policy 33A Renewable and Low Carbon Energy: New proposals for renewable and low carbon energy.
“In addition, the proposal also supports the long-term use of the building and the offer to potential future tenants in compliance with Policy 7A Employment and Mixed Use Areas and Policy 27A Listed Buildings.
“These site-specific considerations have been balanced against the wider impacts such as the likely significant landscape and visual impacts arising from the proposal due to the scale of the turbine and its elevated location within the context of the city and surrounding landscape which would otherwise conflict with Policy 39 Landscape.
“On balance, the improved prospects for the long-term future use of the building for the purpose for which it was designed, derived from the installation of the wind turbine, are considered to outweigh the adverse landscape and visual impacts.
“Furthermore, the revised siting of the proposal some 160 metres further away from the category A-listed offices significantly decrease the associated impacts of the proposal as previously objected to by HES.”
On hearing the news her company had secured consent for the turbine group general counsel and company secretary Kirsty Cooper commented: “The approval of this application is testament to Aviva’s on-going commitment to tackle climate change right across our business.
“It is also a proud moment for colleagues in Perth who have worked hard to see the office generate up to 100 per cent of the electricity it needs to serve our customers and support PKC in achieving their environmental aspirations.”
Perth and North Perthshire MP Pete Wishart, who wrote to PKC to support Aviva’s planning application, remarked: “Scotland is leading on tackling climate change with the most ambitious legal framework for emissions reduction in the world.
“So it is good to see Aviva working to achieve net zero operations by 2030 and making their office in Perth an example of how it can be done.
“The addition of a new turbine will help Aviva to generate all of the electricity they need to run their operation and demonstrate a commitment to green energy while also supporting our ambition to be Europe’s first net zero small city.”
