Bid to stop Isle of Man government onshore wind farm thrown out

Five wind turbines could be built on the Earystane and Scard site

A bid to halt government plans for an onshore wind farm in the south of the Isle of Man has been thrown out.

Manx Utilities (MU) is investigating a site at Earystane and Scard, which if approved by planners could produce 20 megawatts of energy by the end of 2026.

Tim Glover MHK argued the project was "vastly expensive" and nearby residents' mental health had been challenged since surveys began.

Outgoing MU chairman Tim Crookall said it would mean "affordable electricity".

The progression of the project was announced last month as part of a Council of Ministers commitment to produce 75% of Manx electricity through solar and onshore wind farms by 2026.

Speaking in Tynwald, Mr Glover said the "proposed destruction of precious habitat" in the area could be classed as "vandalism".

He raised concerns that politicians were being "rushed headlong into another vanity project" and described MU's projected figures on wind power available to be harnessed as "hopelessly optimistic".

The Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK also claimed there were "many private proposals in the pipeline" that would "more than achieve" the target set in the Island Plan.

'Totally irresponsible'

Daphne Caine MHK, who is also chairman of the government's Climate Change Transformation Board, said she shared residents' concerns over the "visual and environmental" effects on the area.

But said it would be "totally irresponsible" to stop the process at this stage.

Mr Crookall said all work to date had "shown publicly-own onshore wind represents the best value to Isle of Man electricity consumers by a reasonable margin".

He said the scheme would help to "maintain affordable electricity without reliance on other markets or fossil fuels".

The publicly-owned utilities firm was committed to engaging with the private sector but had not been advised of any "competitive proposals", he added.

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