Faroese board recommends relocating cycling track near wind turbines

The Faroese Nature Protection Appeals Board has advised the national cycling and triathlon association to explore placing a planned cycling track near or between wind turbines at Bøllureyn, rather than close to Rossagøtun in Tórshavn.

In a 16 June letter, the board stated that the track’s impact on the landscape’s character would be “significantly smaller” if built by the turbines. The board cited the current proposal’s proximity to the town as insufficient justification for overriding landscape concerns.

The cycling track is intended for the Island Games, scheduled for next year in the Faroes. The Streymoy regional protection committee approved the original Rossagøtun site in April, but local residents and others have opposed the plan.

The national association has defended its preferred location near Rossagøtun. The appeals board will revisit the case at a 17 August meeting.