Pairc wind farm
Two interesting pieces of news about renewable energy come the week before the Comhairle holds a special meeting to consider the Pairc application.
Firstly, the BBC reports that "Wind farms 'not in windy places'" which basically criticises the building of wind farms in the relativeclam calm of England, and criticises the failure to connect the windiest bits to the grid. Regardless of your particular view on wind farms, it is clear that there is a major failure to have a coherent energy policy, and the Government are blaming the 'market', when they should be taking control of the situation and making decisions.
Secondly, Hebrides News reports that the Pairc community is to oppose the plans, on the back of a surprising low turnout in a local ballot. Whether this is because of the impact of recent Court decision on interposed leases turning the community against the scheme, as they won't get their share, or if it is an underlying opposition is impossible to tell. I guess the former, as the community wind farm seemed to have community support.
I'll restate my position on this application, which is that it should be recommended for approval subject to two vitally important considerations:
* A proper and acceptable level of community benefit, and
* The cumulative impact of the three applications is such that no more than two of them should be approved.
As I have also said previously, the expectation/threat/promise from the Scottish Executive and their sock-puppets that there will be a PLI on this application gives the applicant absolutely no incentive to negotiate with the community, meaning a worse result for everyone.
Firstly, the BBC reports that "Wind farms 'not in windy places'" which basically criticises the building of wind farms in the relative
Secondly, Hebrides News reports that the Pairc community is to oppose the plans, on the back of a surprising low turnout in a local ballot. Whether this is because of the impact of recent Court decision on interposed leases turning the community against the scheme, as they won't get their share, or if it is an underlying opposition is impossible to tell. I guess the former, as the community wind farm seemed to have community support.
I'll restate my position on this application, which is that it should be recommended for approval subject to two vitally important considerations:
* A proper and acceptable level of community benefit, and
* The cumulative impact of the three applications is such that no more than two of them should be approved.
As I have also said previously, the expectation/threat/promise from the Scottish Executive and their sock-puppets that there will be a PLI on this application gives the applicant absolutely no incentive to negotiate with the community, meaning a worse result for everyone.
3 comments:
Angus,
The Community Ballot was taken before the Land Court released their findings. The strength of feeling for the past few years has been against a mega wind farm and yes in favour of a community field rather than farm owned by us on an estate owned by us.
a spot of lysdexia in that second paragraph? Or maybe your likening England to creature that lives under pressure, can be poisonous when not properly treated and shuts its mouth tightly when you try to get something valuable out of it?
Anyone seen our MP or MSP, or are they hiding as usual?
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