I have just received this from The Highland Council

SITE VISIT FOR BEINN MHOR WIND FARM
PLANNING REFERENCE 14/01731/FUL
I write in connection with the submission that you have made in respect of the above application currently being assessed by the Highland Council. This letter seeks to advise you that the committee will be undertaking a site visit to the area and provide you with some additional information which may be of interest.

The Council, before the determination of the application has decided that members of the South Planning Applications Committee will undertake a site visit to the area. The site visit will be conducted on Monday 19 January 2015.

Members attending the site visit will then make their decision on the application during the Planning Committee meeting schedule for 20 January 2015, which will meet at Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road Inverness, commencing at 10.30am. An agenda for this committee will be published on the Council Web-site at least 3 days before the Committee meeting. The proceedings will be web cast live via the Highland Council website.

With regard to the site visit, this will be undertaken in a small bus, with Members of the committee being advised by the planning officer of key features pertaining to the development. The bus will leave Council Headquarters at 0830hrs and the site visit will formally commence at 0900hrs at the Drumnadrochit Council Car Park and then travel to a number of viewpoints surrounding the project.

The final stopping points will be determined on the day and will have to take account of weather and road conditions. The applicant and representatives of objectors to the applications may be offered two seats (two for the applicant and two for representatives of the objectors) on the bus to accompany Members throughout the site visit – (from and back to Drumnadrochit). Parties can also attend, using their own vehicle, or await the committee at various specific stopping points which the Committee will make during the site visit.

Please note neither the applicant nor objectors will be able to enter into discussion with Members on the merits of the case whilst on site. At the invitation of the Chairman of the Committee, parties in attendance at each stopping point will be invited to point out features in the locality which are important for members to note. This invitation will follow on from a short briefing of Members by the planning case officer.

A route plan - with the principal stopping points will be made available with the committee papers. These papers will be available on the Council’s web site sometime on Monday 12 January 2015. The site visit for this application is expected to be completed by no later than 1300hrs.

Too far and too short notice for me but hopefully some of the local can attend.

Same letter here.
Far too short a notice, even if I didn't live in Cambridge.
A cynical person could think that the Ludicrously short notice was intentional.

Yea but Highland Council have a longstanding and honourable record regarding their objections to Wind Factories. The difficulty is that they have to fund these objections in court, and in essence they have limited monies available. They also have to move through current protocol. Any localised decisions for large-scale projects can currently be over-ridden by Hollyrood.

My own take is that Highlands and Islands Council are doing the very best that they can to preserve our landscape in the face of a centralised dictat. Frankly, they fully understand the fragile nature of our environment, and have championed those who campaign against wholesale destruction.

But in the heel of the hunt they have limited funds to pursue these matters in the courts. The soi-disant "developers" have deep pockets. When it comes down to the nitty-gritty any local authority will, quite rightly in the final instance, optimise revenue for community services.

Spot on, Humph

For parties with professional, paid representation, it is unlikely to be too short. And remember that they will get it in th eneck for delay if they take too long over the process. It's a real case o f****ed if they do, ****ed if they don't I'm afraid.

Are the objectors going to be able to organise a couple of representatives, do you know??

Spot on Humph x 2.