In Brittany, a wind farm project blocked by menhirs

"The project causes excessive harm to both the surrounding landscape and the archaeological heritage," wrote the Nantes administrative court of appeal in a ruling issued on Tuesday, annulling the environmental authorisation granted by the prefect of Finistère in 2022.

The site planned for the construction of the wind turbines is in fact adjacent to "the Kergadiou menhirs, one of which is upright and the other lying down, located 540 metres from wind turbine No. 3", the court stressed in a press release. "No relief or natural obstacle separates the disputed wind turbines from these pink granite menhirs, classified as historical monuments by a decree of 25 September 1883, menhirs which constitute markers in the landscape", the court noted.

"Due to their proximity and height, the disputed wind turbines would have the effect of disrupting the scale relationship between these menhirs, and more particularly the erected menhir of Kergadiou, and their landscape environment," she insists.

The court further emphasizes that the contested project is located between 1.000 and 1.750 meters from many other megalithic sites classified as historical monuments, such as the menhir of Kérouézel, the menhirs of Traon-Igou and those of Mesdoun, the menhirs, recumbent stones and alignments of Saint-Dénec or the dolmen known as Mezou Poulyot in Kerménou.

Located at an altitude of around fifty metres and three kilometres from the coast, the project would also "have the effect of generating, in the preserved and open landscape, significant co-visibilities", in particular with the Iroise natural marine park, the islands of Ouessant and Molène, the Four lighthouse, the Saint-Laurent peninsula or the Landunvez tourist route, according to the press release.

The courts had been seized of an appeal against this wind project by local residents as well as by the association for the Protection of Aber Ildut and the association Sauvegarde Paysages d'Iroise.

In its ruling, the court points out that the architect of the buildings of France had issued several unfavourable opinions on this project, as had the municipalities of Plourin and Lanildut and the investigating commissioner.

This did not prevent the prefect from authorizing the project by a decree of July 28, 2022.