Our analysis demonstrates that EIA is considered to be a crucial element
of the wind farm planning process in Scotland, but that its effectiveness
is constrained by procedural and substantive deficiencies.
Overall the research findings reinforce the importance of considering
the effectiveness of EIA as a key determinant of the effectiveness of
wind farm planning processes. Therefore solutions to EIA deficiencies
should be designed in harmony with planning policy discourse rather
than in isolation. This will require bridging the gaps between EIA,
planning and social acceptability research. Hitherto, EIA has seldom
been discussed as a potentially significant factor within social acceptability
discourse, which has instead focused on issues pertaining to
wind farm ownership, community benefit schemes and landscape
considerations.