Correspondence relating to windfarms and wind energy: EIR release

Information requested

1. Could you please provide all correspondence that has been exchanged between the Scottish Government and Historic Environment Scotland in relation to windfarms and wind energy.
2. Could I request that this covers the time period January 2019 to the present date (May 27, 2021). 

Clarification was requested from you due to the wide scope of the request. In particular, it would be helpful to know if there is a specific area of interest.  You responded to clarify that "Specifically, can I request correspondence in relation to windfarm projects in Dumfries and Galloway"

Response

As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

In answer to your questions;
1. I attach a copy of some of the information you requested in PDF spreadsheets.
2. The remainder of the information is already in the public domain and is available under each relevant project case file at www.energyconsents.scot. The exception at regulation 6 (1) (b) applies.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI - 202100207604 - Information released

File type

198 page PDF

File size

1.4 MB