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Quick
Links to other sections on this page:
Scotland News
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Caithness
Windfarm Information Forum - CWIF -
The maps on our Windfarm Maps page show the impact of turbines on Caithness and Sutherland
How to object to Current Proposals
If you care about preserving
this beautiful area from the onward march of turbines,
The Accident
Statistics now total nearly 1,400.
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Revised
Spittal Hill venture sparks fresh row
10 ton blade thrown 150 yards in 19mph wind Siemens
shuts down turbines world wide after accident
Lairds criticised for pocketing windfarm subsidies
Lyndsey interviewed on Russian Radio discussing constraints payments Grid pays £6m to turn off windfarms £1m
for windfarms to shut turbines for one day
SNH
reveal new wild land maps Scotland's wild beauty being lost to turbines
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Live
Newsfeed from National Wind Watch
Europe Windfarm News from EPAW
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Meeting of North Planning Applications Committee 10.30 am Tuesday 21 May Site visit for both windfarms took place on Monday 13 May Glencassley Windfarm - 26 turbines, height 126.5m to tip and Sallachy Windfarm - 22 turbines, height 125m to tip both recommended no objection both windfarms
are within the areas of wild land shown in the new SNH
map also Taigh na Muir, Dunnet - single turbine - recommended refusal
UPDATE Glencassley - no objection Sallachy - no objection Taigh na Muir - consented Loch Shin and Ben Assynt plans get go ahead
Halsary,
Bad a Cheo and Beatrice are due for determination at the
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Meeting of Planning Environment and Development Committee 10.30 am Wednesday 15 May Note items 10, 11 and 12 Chair of PEDC thinks SNH wild land map is a step too far
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Party Conferences Scottish Liberal Democrats - Dundee - Friday 15 to Sunday 17 March Scottish National Party - Inverness - Saturday 23 to Sunday 24 March Scottish Labour Party - Inverness - Friday 19 to Sunday 21 April Scottish Conservatives - Stirling - Friday 7 to Saturday 8 June
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From James Lovelock - originator of the Gaia theory "I am an environmentalist and founder member of the Greens but I bow my head in shame at the thought that our original good intentions should have been so misunderstood. "We never intended a fundamentalist Green movement that rejected all energy sources other than renewable, nor did we expect the Greens to cast aside our priceless ecological heritage because of their failure to understand that the needs of the Earth are not separable from human needs. We need to take care that the spinning windmills do not become like the statues on Easter Island, monuments of a failed civilization."
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Do they really expect us to believe them?
"The Scottish
Government will only approve the right wind farm applications in the
right places, "The Scottish Government will only allow windfarms to be built where the impacts have been found to be acceptable - and unsuitable applications are rejected." "While Ministers believe it is right to make the most of the opportunities that are offered by our abundant natural energy resources, this must be done in a way that protects the environment and takes account of the views of local communities." “While we value the contribution well-sited windfarms can make, the Scottish Government is committed to protecting Scotland’s landscape and natural beauty and agree that windfarms should not be built without careful consideration of their potential impact on the environment before any decision is made on whether they should be given the go-ahead.” "Every application for wind farm development is assessed against local development plan policy and on its merits, taking into account the views of statutory consultees, interested parties, local communities and the public. Unsuitable applications are rejected." "Scotland has astounding green energy potential and vast natural resources, with a quarter of Europe's offshore wind potential, and we have a responsibility to ensure our nation seizes this opportunity to create tens of thousands of new jobs and secure billions of pounds of investment in our economy. However, any development will be undertaken in a sustainable and informed manner."
Ewing's two hats: Minister for Tourism Minister for Energy
Rob Gibson MSP looking two ways: One way: "Peatlands are vital to the climate change imperative which we now face as they lock away carbon," explained the MSP. "In effect, they are natural carbon sinks - if they dry out and are damaged then they release more carbon into the atmosphere. So to restore those that have been blocked up or dried out will help the environment by reducing the amount of carbon in the country." The other way: "Gibson argues the Scottish Government faces obstacles domestically as well. Many councils have failed to grasp the nettle on renewables and have allowed nimbyism to take hold of local decision-making. "I'm particularly concerned about the issues that were raised in the Energy Committee's report about our planning system," he says. "It's not going with the thrust of government policy in many council areas, where onshore wind farms in particular don't just fall prey to gross misinformation from objectors - gross misinformation - but also councils that are not prepared to face up to their climate change responsibilities." Has he been to Camster lately or any of the other sites where peat has been destroyed by windfarms?
Quote from Ewing: "Scotland, under the SNP, will not, does not and cannot rely on renewable energy alone. It will be part of a mix - a balanced mix." The minister said some people might be under the impression that the Nationalists' plan was for "all our lights to be kept on by renewables". He added: "Plainly this is absurd. It's not true and it's important for me to state that this is the case."
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First there was a problem
with Proven turbines All these originally had MCS - Evoco and Eoltec still do
Another
turbine fire that could not be put out and set fire to burning brush
"As a standard precautionary
measure, all Infinis staff vacate wind farms when wind speeds exceed
Wind turbine blades fly off in storm
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The hills have been turned into a man-made industrial estate, covered in gigantic white turning monsters totally destroying any visage of remoteness. Yes, they shout at you, man is master of nature and we mean to show it. Well, any nation which can do this to its landscape loses any right to complain about anything else anyone else does, be it rain-forest removal, strip mining, whaling, deep-sea drilling... this is environmental desecration, destruction and degradation of the worst order. If I lived in England and saw this advert for arrogance when travelling north I would most certainly speak out in favour of Scottish independence... as in the film, "The Last Great Wilderness", where the Welcome to Scotland sign has been altered to "Scotland, you're welcome to it!" from "Out and about with Ralph" (Caithness Courier - 25 Jan 12)
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Community Benefit (courtesy Graham Lang) "Where does Community
Benefit come from? From the income of the wind farm.
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"They are no good when the wind
doesn't blow and they are no good when the wind does blow.
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From the walls of the Scottish Parliament building: The battle for conservation
will go on endlessly. What would the world
be, once bereft
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Petition to Salmond and Ewing "Stop the reckless siting of wind turbines in Scotland's scenic landscapes" Sign now and help the numbers soar
John Muir Trust Wild Land Campaign
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Review
of Scottish Planning Policy
The
Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee has published its report on
SNH Consultation Deadline 11 January 2013
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Scottish Government way forward for Planning
Scottish Government proposed increases to planning fees
House of Lords Private Member's Bill House of Commons Private Member's
Bill
Highland Council considers
VisitScotland presentation on Highland Tourism Highland Council Planning Policies
and Guidance for onshore wind energy Highland Council Special Landscape Area Citations Highland Council Green Networks Details
of Beauly Denny PI and Decision Windfarms - Distance from Housing (House of Commons Library - 8 Jan 10) A Guide to the Planning System in Scotland (3 Aug 09) Climate Change (Scotland) Bill granted Royal Assent (5 Aug 09) Scottish Government Renewables Action Plan (1 Jul 09) Scottish Government National
Planning Framework 2 now published
document - draft Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy |
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Separation Distances - Important clarification from the Scottish Government Scottish Planning Policy 6 (SPP6) eases the passage of windfarm applications through the system by opening up opportunities which were formerly no-go areas. Determining Authorities are under pressure to meet Scottish Government targets and these targets are being given priority over the lives of ordinary people unfortunate enough to live close to a windfarm proposal. SPP6 contains important but neglected Guidance under "Communities" in Annex A on proximity of windfarms to dwellings and on residential amenity. CWIF is a member of the networking organisation Stop Highland Windfarms Campaign (SHWC). SHWC wrote to Mr Jim Mather, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism and asked for clarification. As a result, in a letter to SHWC, the Directorate for the Built Environment has now clarified the proximity issue and reaffirmed the terms of SPP6 in respect of residential amenity. The correspondence was also sent to the Director of Planning & Development at Highland Council. The relevant paragraph says this: "The 2km separation distance is intended to recognise that, in relation to local communities, visual impacts are likely to be a prominent feature and this should be taken into account when identifying the most suitable search areas. However, impacts will clearly vary considerably depending on the scale of projects and the proposed location. That is why SPP6 confirms that, in all instances, proposals should not be permitted if they would have a significant long term detrimental impact on the amenity of people living nearby. This principle applies to houses within and outwith 2km of the proposed development and regardless of whether they are single dwellings or part of a settlement." Click here to read the questions and answers in full. It is to be hoped that Determining Authorities will implement this Guidance with immediate effect.
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Caithness Windfarm Information Forum is a group of people concerned by the potential destruction of the unique heritage of Caithness and Sutherland through industrial windfarm development for no material reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and no significant contribution to climate change. The forum welcomes as members those who wish to safeguard our heritage and environment and may also support the development of sustainable energy resources which will provide clean and secure energy.
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Duncansby Stacks - Photo: Ben MacGregor |
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CWIF
is a member of the |
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Wind
energy cannot provide what is known as "base load", therefore it cannot
replace any of the secure supplies currently available. Proliferation
of wind turbines severely degrades our local environment for no perceptible
advantage. |
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Caithness
Windfarm Information Forum wants to see responsible
Local and National energy policies which combine reliable, controllable
and predictable low carbon energy supplies with adequate protection of
our fragile environment, countryside and communities. |
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CWIF is a voluntary organisation whose sole source of funding is through membership fees, fundraising events, and donations. The membership fee is a single lifetime payment because we value your support more than your money. However, we cannot maintain this website, hold meetings, keep the membership informed etc. without money, so any donation is deeply appreciated. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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