Emergency meeting about windfarms
The Comhairle meet today at 2pm in emergency session to discuss the 'minded to refuse' view of the Scottish Government.
I trust that the Comhairle will take a very robust view on this attitude from Government, and will highlight the inconsistencies and bias in the statement.
However, the way forward was surely illustrated by the vox pops in the Stornoway Gazette this week where four out of five people supported the application and the fifth supported windfarms but not this scheme.
The Comhairle should immediately launch a campaign to encourage supporters of the application to submit letters of support to the Government to show that the supporters have been silent, not non-existent.
I have long said that I believed that 1/3 of the population oppose the plans; 1/3 support; and, 1/3 don't know. The opponents are obviously well organised, and the Comhairle has been remiss on not building on the underlying public support for the plan.
Whatever the outcome in a few weeks time, both sides must be prepared to work together constructively in the aftermath, and if either side sits on the sidelines and sulks, then I they will face nothing but opprobrium from the public.
Update 16:10
From the Gazette: Officials at the European Union expressed 'surprise and dismay' when informed that the Scottish Government were minded not to approve the Lewis Windpower development, councillors heard today (Monday).
[...]
"It was made clear that EU legislation does not prohibit development on designations."
Update 20:45
Checking back through my notes, before the Comhairle came to a recommendation, I was told that the Designations did not give a blanket prohibition on development but could in some circumstances prevent it. The interpretation by the Scottish Government seems to be completely in line with the Westminster attitude of 'implement EU regulations to the maximum.'
I trust that the Comhairle will take a very robust view on this attitude from Government, and will highlight the inconsistencies and bias in the statement.
However, the way forward was surely illustrated by the vox pops in the Stornoway Gazette this week where four out of five people supported the application and the fifth supported windfarms but not this scheme.
The Comhairle should immediately launch a campaign to encourage supporters of the application to submit letters of support to the Government to show that the supporters have been silent, not non-existent.
I have long said that I believed that 1/3 of the population oppose the plans; 1/3 support; and, 1/3 don't know. The opponents are obviously well organised, and the Comhairle has been remiss on not building on the underlying public support for the plan.
Whatever the outcome in a few weeks time, both sides must be prepared to work together constructively in the aftermath, and if either side sits on the sidelines and sulks, then I they will face nothing but opprobrium from the public.
Update 16:10
From the Gazette: Officials at the European Union expressed 'surprise and dismay' when informed that the Scottish Government were minded not to approve the Lewis Windpower development, councillors heard today (Monday).
[...]
"It was made clear that EU legislation does not prohibit development on designations."
Update 20:45
Checking back through my notes, before the Comhairle came to a recommendation, I was told that the Designations did not give a blanket prohibition on development but could in some circumstances prevent it. The interpretation by the Scottish Government seems to be completely in line with the Westminster attitude of 'implement EU regulations to the maximum.'
36 comments:
Come on Angus.
Everyone has had their chance many times over.
Why cant you face defeat graciously?
You are doing yourself no favour.
Anyhow as you can see it is being refused on environmental grounds, not the number of objections.
I hope the missus has bought you a dead horse to flog to divert you from this.
Anon 10:09am
You sound worried that the government might start to listen to the real voice of the local population not just a few protestors, many of whom don't even live in the islands.
Isn't it time that the population of the islands were allowed to have their say? They were promised as much by Mr Allan who backtracked on his election pledge. MWT ran a massive anti-windfarm campaign, bullying people to sign letters of objection. The biggest fault with the pro campaign is that they didn't do the same, well now it is their chance.
The anti-windfarm campaigners have always been so convinced that nobody wants the Lewis wind farm that you should just sit back and confidently expect the Comhairle to get the answer you want so much.
BUT if the Scottish Government get many thousands of support letters from local businesses, employers and employees and then choose to support the environmental factors over and above this, then the voters will know which way to vote in the next elections.
It's called democracy.
sunny side up: "You sound worried that the government might start to listen to the real voice of the local population not just a few protestors, many of whom don't even live in the islands."
From the Executive's letter to AMEC:
"#24. Of the objections 5,611 came from within the local council area..."
"#25. From a total of 73 representations of support, 45 came from within the local council area..."
Quite a difference eh? I make that 5,566 more local objections than local letters of support. It certainly makes a nonsense of your bizarre statement above. I wonder why that is? Maybe it's because that's democracy. It's quite sad to see people who have for years railed against holding a referendum, suddenly complaining because none will be held.
"MWT ran a massive anti-windfarm campaign, bullying people to sign letters of objection."
Did they indeed? Hmmm, maybe the Gazette or more likely the WHFP will carry a full report on that fantasy, er I mean story, next week. Not being a member of MWT, I wouldn't know the specifics of their bullying process...could you enlighten us all, please?
"The anti-windfarm campaigners have always been so convinced that nobody wants the Lewis wind farm..."
Well, I never! I didn't think anyone on the island believed that nobody wanted the Lewis windfac...windfarm. You really should stick to facts if you wish people to take your comments seriously.
"...I trust that the Comhairle will take a robust view...."
And what makes the Comhairle so exceptional that they can ignore E.C law?
On whose mandate would they be challenging any european legislation and meeting judicial expense from the public purse?
How much do they think this will set them back by way of judicial expenditure?
Maybe they should obtain professional opinion on (1) likely expense and (2)prospects of success, before making any further decisions on how to proceed.
Article 189 of the Treaty of Rome:
"...a regulation....is binding in its entirety and is directly applicable in all member states of the Community."
CASE CLOSED.
The gazette may print 5 vox pops, selected so as to be 4:1 in favour, but I note that the poll on their website is 4:1 against!
Now, who's being selective in reporting the facts?
Your 16 10 update sounds very promising. Makes the Scottish "Government" seem rather naieve.
It insults my intelligence, and all others who have voiced their disquiet over the LWP proposals that we have only done so because of the 'threatening' tactics of MWT. Just how have we been threatened? ‘Send a letter of objection in or we send the boys round’ ‘sign this petition or we smash your face in’ I think not. The vast masses who are and will continue to fight this ridiculous proposal do so of our own free will. I have no contact with any of those who represent MWT, I don’t even know who many of them are, but my admiration goes out to them for the effort and hard work that they put into this campaign. Their web site is informative and up to date.
Has anyone looked at the LWP web site lately? For a company intent on spending £500 million or so you would have thought that they themselves would have a site urging us to support there project. A site with all the news and information about their proposals, but when was it last updated Feb 2007, yes that’s right FEB 2007 a whole year ago. Have they already given up and gone home, if they have, they don’t appear to have had the decency to tell the Comhairle, who are continuing to flog a dead horse!
Angus,
Can you or anyone else find a poll where there isn't overwhelming local opposition to the LWP proposal? There are numerous polls showing massive opposition to it.
To claim any kind of justification for the council's behaviour based on 5 vox pops is just plain embarassing.
If the last 2 elections have told you anything, surely it is that the local population do NOT want the giant wind farm. Smaller schemes, perhaps, but not the LWP monstrosity.
Is it too much for the council to just follow the wishes of the people they represent?
I'd love to know exactly who "in Europe" told the Comhairle this while they were "in Brussels"
Was it a politician? was a red light illuminating the area at the time? was it a tea boy?
Lets face it - it was no one with any clowt or knowledge. Clearly someone on the same intellectual plain as those that were sent to Brussels.
Keep flogging that horse boys and someone might believe you.
Just which EU officials are they quoting, and in what context? Sounds a suspiciously selective quote to me!
And, of course, any development on Natura sites is not prohibited - otherwise making an application would be banned. Rather, it is necessary to pass tests (which LWP fail). I suspect the EU were simply to explain this simple fact - one that you, Angus, and many associated with the council seem unable to comprehend. As head of Planning Committee did you ever read any Scottish Executive planning guidance?
You were told, you simply ignored the facts and carried on anyway hoping that political backing would enable the rules to be bent.
Word is the Comhairle meeting was very relaxed and well mannered - probably because Macsween apparantly gave it a miss.
so relaxed was the meeting from the TV it looks like the VC even forgot his tie.
RSPB - please buy you man an umbrella from your pot of gold. He was looking rather wet on the news last night.
Just who is running this application now? Where is LWP in all of this? If a stranger came across all of the fuss about this application I am sure they would think the Comhairle were the unsuccessful applicant.
Have the Comhairle given up being a 'Consultee' and have become the campaigning and PR wing of LWP?
Whatever happened to the idea that Planning Authorities were impartial and where supposed to look after and protect the interests of any and all who may be affected by a development?
The Comhairle has been corupted by £ signs, shame on them. If they carry on like this, and bearing in mind the fuss over the Health Board, the Scottish Government will be looking at whether the Western Isles are capable of looking after their own affairs, and where would we all be then?
A tip for the Comharlie
www.croner.co.uk
Captain Swing 7:07
Has anyone looked at the LWP web site lately? For a company intent on spending £500 million or so you would have thought that they themselves would have a site urging us to support there project. A site with all the news and information about their proposals, but when was it last updated Feb 2007, yes that’s right FEB 2007 a whole year ago.
Yes, and some of what's said in that 'latest news' from a year ago is quite enlightening. For instance:
"The Comhairle’s careful consideration of all of the facts surrounding the development contrasts
sharply with the behaviour of RSPB Scotland in pursuing its small-minded and biased campaign
against the development."
For LWP/AMEC to use this kind of language about a professional body (with which I have no connection, by the way) in a press release betrays their own utter lack of professionalism. It does indeed seem to have been environmental designations rather than the number of individual objectors that stopped the scheme, which probably explains why AMEC, the WHFP and the local council held (and hold) objectors in such contempt and basically ignored them to aim the big guns at RSPB, SNH, etc. You can see the history of it all in the press over the last five years. They knew all along where the 'real problem' for them was.
Angus,
Why don't you and Comhairle (the two are inextricably linked in this case) admit you bungled the application? The document you supplied over the weekend clearly shows several key concerns were not addressed.
Eyoop
I make that 5,566 local objections out of a total population of approximately 26,500 is 21% or 1:4
Over to you
I'm proud of the role that I took in the decision making process, and I will not disavow that role in any way.
Looking back at the conditions we applied to the application it is easy to see at the preamble the issues that remained unresolved by the Comhairle.
Clause 5 (e) starts, "Without prejudice to the final terms of the Nature Mitigation and Compensation Management Plan, consideration should be given to the following requirements from SNH:
i. The developer should set out detailed measures for the minimisation and mitigation of impacts on peatland or upland habitats. Mitigation should include measures which take full account of site drainage issues."
Similar statements are made about Fisheries,Peat and Archaeology (for example).
The role and remit of the Comhairle was as the principal consultee NOT as the Planning Authority. We asked the Government to decide upon certain issues that we could not set as conditions, and it is the determination of these matters that have (largely) caused the refusal.
We considered the Designation issues before coming to a view, but we didn't have the power to say that the designations prevented the application proceeding. That was solely a matter for the Government as Planning Authority.
As the handling of the process was described as 'exemplary' by the Chief Planning Officer for Scotland, I'll take his praise ahead of your brickbats.
1:45pm: I did love your "1:4"; how warped could this be? The "4" consists of:
- pro-wind factory people, who didn't feel sufficiently passionate to write in.
- anti-wind factory people, who didn't feel sufficiently passionate to write in
- don't knows
- don't cares
So, 45 letters in favour that are "local" (your words) "out of a total population of approximately 26,500" (your words again) is...
Less that 0.17 percent.
Or pretty much one sixth of one percent of the local population.
Or, to highlight the other side - which you like doing - over 99.83 percent of local residents did NOT submit a letter of support.
Fact.
Has any similar large-scale initiative ever failed, so pathetically and utterly miserably, to drum up popular support from the population and area it was destined for?
Comhairle. Angus. AMEC. LWP. Give up now. It's just getting really embarrasing, seeing this clutching of straws, denial, and ultra-spin.
At least the Lingerbay Quarry people knew when to throw in the towel, and saved some face.
How come CnES could not arrange a referendum for its people on the grounds it was the planning authority but now is the official lobbist in UK and Europe for LWP?
Anon 1:45
"I make that 5,566 local objections out of a total population of approximately 26,500 is 21% or 1:4"
And 45 letters of support out of a total population of approximately 26,500 (including babies and toddlers?) is 0.17% or 1:123.
Your point being...?
Damn, anon 2:19 beat me to it. Nicely expanded on though! :-)
Anon 2:22
He expanded: "Because of their role in the planning process neither the Comhairle nor the Government could have organised it, but the Government have confirmed that it could be regarded as a 'material consideration' in the planning process."
And this from the man who promised to deliver a referendum organised by the Government, despite being repeatedly told that it wasn't legally possible.
Only 45 letters of support locally? ROFL.
That explains why the Comhairle et al didn't hire a bus to take supporters to the Scottish Parliament to protest/campaign. They couldn't even fill it!!!
Remember our former Labour MP Calum Macdonald's immortal words on the Lewis & Eishken windfactories in May 2005, and I quote, "...a complete waste of time and energy".
He summed it up perfectly in half a sentence. We didn't even get that much from our last MSP...
This farce must stop NOW
It is embarrssing all Gaels, crofters, incomers. ALL OF US. It is dragging us down.
It is a disgrace. Can people on these islands not admit they were wrong?
2:51PM - dead right, up to:
"Can people on these islands not admit they were wrong?"
See the numbers. Implies that people on these islands were generally wrong, whereas they were generally right. More accurate to say:
"Can the tiny and insignificant number of people on these islands who supported these proposal not admit they were wrong?"
That's better.
This is a crisis. A large crisis. In fact, if you've got a moment, it's a twelve-story crisis with a magnificent entrance hall, carpeting throughout, 24-hour porterage and an enormous sign on the roof saying, "THIS IS A LARGE CRISIS". A large crisis requires a large plan. Get me two pencils and a pair of underpants.
I can't see what all the fuss is about. Even our Brian Wilson said on the radio back in May last year that the Lewis Wind Power was dead in the water. Why it's come as a surprise is beyond me.
Brian Wilson, RSPB - they heard it from all sides, but ignored everyone because clearly they are all so bloomin clever.
Shame on you
What's bugging me at present is that those that are against windfarms on 'environmental' grounds withtract their objections if it's a 'community' windfarm! Bloody hypocrites......
Much as our MP and MSP would like to back the scheme now they cannot. According to what they told the Trust they jumped on a band wagon(lied to the electorate to get elected)and cannot jump off now. Shame on them.
Certainly John Muir Trust fall into that camp. Nationally they have been flagged as a bunch of hypocrits.
Lets take a local example.They support Galson Trust and North Harris Trust, but when communities such as that covered by Stornoway Trust want a wind farm for community benefit they rattle their sabres.
Bloody hypocrits.
What is more wild land anyway. Stornoway? North Harris? Galson?
Their policy says they protect wild land yet they promote industrial devlopment in those sites here and block it in the more urban environs of greater Stornoway.
Hypocrits I cry!
"Much as our MP and MSP would like to back the scheme now they cannot"
Did they honestly say this.
If so we need to know
Bayhead HQ are you hearing this - please respond.
I hope CNES ditch their support for this crazy scheme and get on with thinking about renewables that are appropriate in scale to the character of the islands. As someone who used to work on wind farm proposals doing planning and environmental work, I never met anybody in the industry who actually thought this proposal would be approved. I’m astounded that CNES Councillors and planning staff didn’t see it coming. I think the following points are useful for clarification:
- EU environmental designations carry enormous weight and only when it can be shown through a detailed EIA and appropriate assessment that all adverse impacts can be mitigated are developments on EU designated sites likely to succeed. A development on this scale on this site was never going to meet these requirements. Having worked on several sites with EU designations, I can confirm that it is always best to avoid them!The EIA for this proposal was hugely biased (I did read most of it) but even that couldn’t hide the fact that the integrity of the peatlands would probably be permanently damaged.
- Public opinion is not a material consideration in planning! Decisions should only be based on how an application conforms to planning policy and legislation but telling this to councillors often falls on deaf ears!
- Community benefit should never be part of pre-application discussions on wind farm applications! Respectable wind farm developers begin formal discussions after the planning application has been approved; otherwise it is basically a bribe.
- The assertions about the number of jobs working directly on this wind farm were hugely exaggerated. After construction, I reckon there would be around 10. For comparison, I recently finished work on a 22 turbine scheme in south west Scotland, which would possibly generate 1 job after the construction phase.
- Ultimately, the long term economic benefit is solely based on community benefit contributions. This would not be considered sufficient to override the adverse impact of the wind farm.
Anon 10:15
"Community benefit should never be part of pre-application discussions on wind farm applications! Respectable wind farm developers begin formal discussions after the planning application has been approved; otherwise it is basically a bribe."
Well said. I would add that the proposal was so outrageous in scale, impact and unsuitability that AMEC/LWP's bribe was the only reason it got as far as it did.
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