Wind Farm Application Withdrawn

(Scotland) An energy firm, SSE, has tossed plans for a 29-turbine wind farm in North Ayrshire due to "construction and planning challenges."

The proposed site is a special protected area for hen harriers.

SSE said its decision had been taken "following extensive consultation with key stakeholders and in consideration of investment priorities".

The firm said the proposals to construct a 72.5MW wind farm had been "initiated prior to the site being designated as a European Special Protection Area which also added complexity".

David Gardner, SSE's director of onshore renewables, 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 wind farms elsewhere.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has applauded SSE's withdrawal.