Planners block fresh Organic Sea Harvest bid for Skye salmon farms
Highland councillors today rejected planning applications to two salmon farms off the northeast coast of Skye for the second time.
Planning officers had recommended approval of Organic Sea Harvest’s revised applications for sites at Flodigarry and Balmaqueen but a majority of North Planning Applications Committee backed motions for refusal.
In 2021, the Scottish government’s planning and environmental appeals division dismissed the appeal made by Organic Sea Harvest (OSH) to site 12 x 120m pens and a feed barge near Balmaqueen.
It was the second time OSH has lost a planning appeal,
following a Scottish government Reporter’s decision to affirm Highland
Council’s refusal of an application for the company’s proposed Flodigarry site
in the same area.
Visual impact
Both refusals were based in the main on the perceived visual impact of the farms to people walking a coastal path used by an average of 5.4 people a day, and the visual impact of the farms was again cited as a reason for refusal by the North Planning Applications Committee today.
OSH had reduced the size of the proposed farms from 12 to 10 pens, but they were on the same sites.
Wider context
Speaking in favour of the applications, committee member Angela MacLean said the statutory consultees had no objections to the proposed farms.
“We need to look at this in a wider context. This is going to make a big difference in this area and I for one will be supporting it,” said MacLean.
OSH currently has only two farms, Culnacnoc and Invertote, which the company’s owners have said is insufficient for consistent production.
The company, which received the Community Initiative and Best Aquaculture Community awards in the 2023 Aquaculture Awards, now has the option of appealing to the Scottish Government once again, in the hope that a different Reporter will come to a different decision.
OSH managing director James Deverill said: “Naturally we’re disappointed by this decision. As a company, we will now reflect and decide how we proceed.”
