New advice for planning authorities on wind farms has been published today by the Scottish Government.

The Planning Advice Note (PAN) will help councils and national park authorities prepare their own guidance for considering wind farm applications to aid the development of clean, green energy across Scotland. The PAN will help authorities identify: areas where proposals are likely to be supported; areas of significant protection (such as SSSI's, National Parks and Green Belts) and areas where other constraints will have to be satisfactorily addressed.

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Welcoming publication of the PAN, Infrastructure Minister Stewart Stevenson said: "Scotland has to continue realising its renewable energy potential. We want to see the renewables industry grow but we do not want to see development anywhere or at any cost to the environment. The new Planning Advice Note will help planning authorities develop local solutions by making positive provision for renewable energy.

"This in turn will help developers and decision makers understand where there are opportunities for wind farms and where there are constraints.

"Renewable energy is central to our efforts to create a more successful country and has the potential to play a key role in helping our economy emerge stronger from the current downturn. That underlines the importance of our efforts to ensure Scotland's planning system is an aid to increasing sustainable economic growth, and this Planning Advice Note is an important step forward."

(GK/JM)