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Anger as wind farm gets the green light

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Published Date: 23 December 2008
By JOHN ROSS
CAMPAIGNERS have attacked a decision to approve a scaled-down wind farm in the Highlands, which they claim will harm wildlife and tourism.
Jim Mather, the energy minister, yesterday announced the go-ahead for the 17-turbine, 51MW development at Lochluichart, near Garve in Ross-shire, which is capable of supplying electricity for 23,000 homes.

The developer, LZN, applied in 2005 to
build 43 turbines. This was later reduced to 22 and then 17 turbines and Highland Council decided not to object to the plan in 2007. During a consultation, 9,097 people sent representations with 3,170 objections and 5,927 in support.

Mr Mather said: "The Loch-luichart wind farm is a significant step in our drive to make Scotland the green energy capital of Europe.

"There will be economic benefits, with around 100 construction jobs and full-time jobs when the scheme is operational."

But the Stop Lochluichart Wind farm campaign group expressed concern that the turbines could harm tourism and disturb endangered species including eagles, peregrine falcons and red-throated divers.

A spokesman for the group said: "I find it astonishing that, at a time when money is scarce, this government should approve projects which can only increase our electricity bills and cause suffering to many pensioners and people on low incomes, especially since the alleged benefits of wind farms are becoming more and more doubtful."



The full article contains 239 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

 
1

nabodican,

Rural Scotland 23/12/2008 07:24:52
Lie # 1 : "The windfarm will power 23,000 homes" - it certainly will not and it is not required by the residents of that area as they are already self sufficient with hydro power.
Lie # 2 : "The windfarm will provide 100 construction jobs and full time jobs" - utter claptrap,there will be no local jobs,a team will be brought in from elsewhere to construct the roads and a construction team will be brought in from Germany or Denmark.

What is clear is that this government are puppets of the wind industry. Jim Mather in particular is clearly and ill informed idiot or is being paid by the wind industry.
This particular windfarm was the subject of a campaign by "yes2wind" an organisation sponsored by the "British Wind Energy Association" hence the number of letters of support. I would very much doubt that the vast number of these "letter writers" have ever been to the area or could even point it out on a map.
It will now be impossible to drive to the western highlands without running a gauntlet of windmills of mass destruction.
Jim Mather can also carry the resposibility for the deaths of even more of Scotlands old people due to the guaranteed increase in electricity price because of this.
JIM MATHER - YOU ARE AN EEJIT AND THE SOONER YOU GO THE BETTER.
2

David McLaren,

23/12/2008 08:15:34
Our Enterprise Minister doesn't seem to have an enterprising molecule in his body.

His grasp of detail and understanding seems tenuous at best.

His frontline experience in business is minimal despite the IBM and Marketing guff in his bio.

Additionally his Ministerial performance seems at odds with his last commercial appointment where that company projected a thrusting vibrant innovative front, something that seems to be missing in his almost invisible media presence.

Salmond, Swinney & Sturgeon I believe are doing a fairly decent job in troubled times, a bit less rhetoric and more pragmatic actions would be better but I am struggling to see what strengths, ideas, leadership this guy brings.

Naturally if anyone could enlighten me on where his dynamism, insight and ideas lie and perhaps have even made a difference somewhere I will of course revisit my position.


3

RabtheCairnterrier,

Highlands 23/12/2008 09:22:33
Angry? I'm absoluteley BEELIN'!
This is an idiotic decision. As a lifelong proponent of independence I should be a natural supporter of the SNP but after Trump and now this I'll be doing my damndest to ensure the SNP get a right good kicking in the next election. As for the expressions of support, the developers had people out in the streets of Inverness asking passers by to sign a petition "against climate change" when what they were really signing up to was support for this wind factory . Dishonest or what?
4

bill-alba,

fife 23/12/2008 09:48:35
#4 Do what you are saying is that you are a britnat and would never ever support independence....dishonest or what..
5

Alternative (High-Octane) Fuel Head,

Edinburgh 23/12/2008 10:39:43
#1:

"...it is not required by the residents of that area as they are already self sufficient with hydro power."

Ever heard of electrical wires? They tend to be able to carry electrical current to where it is needed---which need not necessarily be in the immediate vicinity.

To be honest (when am I ever not?) I get sick to death of hearing about some or other knee-jerk moronic group getting in the way of progress whenever something is suggested that might just result in the reduction of use of fossil fuels.

For christs sake, the beardy-sandals greenies claim to want to reduce "carbon emissions" but whenever anyone actually gets off their a*se and does something about it, they try to block it. What they really want is for us to have nothing.
6

Mr. Lachie Todd,

Edinburgh 23/12/2008 11:53:45
Major infrastructure projects have always had various NIMBYs or pressure groups opposing there construction.

Fifty years ago, many wildlife groups opposed the construction of motorways and made ridiculous claims that the noise and roadside pollution would drive many species of fauna and flora away.

Today, we have raptors living and hunting alongside motorways, culverts built under motorways for badgers, wild flowers spread along road verges,and various other forms of plant and animal life nearby. Road warning signs for deer or badgers are everywhere in built up areas.

7

mobocaster,

Aberdeen 23/12/2008 15:14:59
Overemphasis on windpower is my concern. Any proper renewable strategy needs a full range of generation methods. Not the over three quarters dominance of wind that we have currently been lumbered with.
8

nabodican,

Rural Scotland 23/12/2008 19:04:41
#3 & #6
Get a grip folks, the highlands generates enough power from hydro for their own needs. The residents of the Loch Luichart area certainly have no need for windpower, as for the point about wires - yes I have heard of them having worked in electrical engineering all my life. The losses incurred in transmitting this unwanted power to where it may be required will be substantial although the owners of the wind power station will be paid per MWH at source.
It is us, the public who pick up the tab for it off course.
Having said that, what will happen in real life is that they will shut down hydro power when the wind blows and any excess water will be spilled out.
On top of this, more than 50MW of hydro power has been taken out of line to qualify for rocs.
Only the great greenwashed, the seriously stupid and those who get windfarm cash support these windmills of mass destruction.
9

Rasco,

23/12/2008 23:37:52
I wonder if we had the same rants about Hydro Schemes when they were built and where would we be without them,maybe someone came out with the same "Only the great green washed,the seriously stupid would support these Hydro Schemes".I don't think you can blame Jim Mather for the increase in the price of electricity,never mind the Saviour Broon will come to our rescue.
10

mobocaster,

Aberdeen 24/12/2008 16:43:11
#10

We were sold the idea of hydro with the promise of "Power that will be too cheap to meter" At a time when the majority of ordinary Scots knew a lot more about the difficulties of making ends meet than most seem to today.

Still waiting....

Also the project was planned & excecuted with a very different ethos to today. And it was a plan, unlike today's free-for-all with subsidy chasing speculators trying to plunk down schemes so their potential customers elsewhere can avoid penalties for not being seen to be doing something "environmental"
11

Morry,

Scotland 01/01/2009 21:18:16
1 & 2 totally agree with you both and in my opinion Jim Mather is ill suited to his position within this parliament at least.
Miss Sturgeon has more common sense in her little finger than all of her party put together, most of whom have pie in the sky ideals.
Going green does not mean the rest of the country has to be green.
12

Gled,

03/01/2009 11:24:59
Jim Mather experience and judgement seem paper thin, his impact as a minister is below the radar, his ability to listen "properly" to what small businesses needs is dubious at best but he seems to know a lot about wind.

I rest my case.

 

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