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Caithness Windfarm Information Forum
- CWIF -
is run by a group of people concerned about the proliferation of windfarms in Scotland,
particularly the Highlands and more particularly Caithness and Sutherland.

Look at the maps on our Windfarm Sites page

If you care about preserving this beautiful area from the onward march of turbines,
please become a Member NOW to show your support.
It only costs £5 for life and joining online is quick and easy - see Membership.

Caithness Needs You ! (poster to print)

 


Quick Links to other sections on this page:

Breaking News Caithness/Sutherland News Other News
Petitions, Consultations & PlanningFollow the Story Public Inquiry Reporting
About Us


BREAKING NEWS

 

Living with turbines - the reality (The Lance - 13 Jul 10)


This is what a community in the south has suffered
(a large file but definitely worth seeing)
Only 12 turbines - Caithness will have many larger windfarms

Britain faces years of blackouts (Daily Mail - 19 Jul 10)
Warning over windfarm output (Herald - 19 Jul 10)
Blackout Britain faces big turn off (Daily Express - 19 Jul 10)
Windfarms producing half expected power (Scotsman - 18 Jul 10)

Full report of the Energy & Climate Change Debate (Parliament - 27 Jul 10)

 

Windfarm News - Scotland
(from National Wind Watch)

 


CAITHNESS/SUTHERLAND NEWS

 

From one of our members:
I feel like another bit of us/Caithness has died. It's utterly incredible that this is progressing so far and now so fast. Folks are going to wake up one day and say "who let this happen?"
CWIF can certainly stand proud and say
"we did our best and fought with everything we had and could think of".

Recent Decisions:
Olgrinmore Moss - Refused
Wathegar - Approved

Shebster - Refused

Spittal Hill - Recommended for Refusal


We are not yet half-way through 2010 .....
(see Chairman's letter)


Work starts at Gordonbush (Northern Times - 22 Jul 10)

Highland wide community benefit fund "a disgrace" (Northern Times - 24 Jun 10)

Councillors recommend refusal of Spittal Hill windfarm (Caithness Courier - 23 Jun 10)

Spittal windfarm will affect Wick airport (BBC News -16 Jun 10)

Local MP calls for moratorium on windfarms (Caithness Courier - 9 Jun 10)

Fury over Wathegar (Caithness Courier - 9 Jun 10) NB download as not online

Protest over Wathegar approval (Press & Journal - 5 Jun 10)

Community Council's contempt for constituents (John O'Groat Journal - 28 May 10)

Planning Rules carry no weight (Caithness Courier - 19 May 10)

CWIF challenges Dunbeath decision (John O'Groat Journal - 23 Apr 10)

Windfarm developers have carte blanche (Caithness Courier - 14 Apr 10)

The great lie (Press & Journal - 26 Mar 10)

Councillors banned from windfarm debates (Press & Journal - 22 Mar 10)

Lack of wind means turbines produce little energy (Press & Journal - 6 Mar 10)
follow the output here

Dunbeath Moors Doomed (Caithness Courier - 24 Feb 10)

 


OTHER NEWS

 

Chris Huhne believes windpower is the answer (Daily Telegraph - 24 Jul 10)

Scottish Govt. take note - Welsh Govt. sets rules (County Times - 23 Jul 10)

MEP attacks Dava Moor proposals (Strathspey & Badenoch Herald - 21 Jul 10)

Challenge to Dunmaglass decision (Inverness Courier - 20 Jul 10)

Britain faces years of blackouts (Daily Mail - 19 Jul 10)
Warning over windfarm output (Herald - 19 Jul 10)
Blackout Britain faces big turn off (Daily Express - 19 Jul 10)
Windfarms producing half expected power (Scotsman - 18 Jul 10)

Children told they will grow up without seeing bats (The Times Leader - 19 Jul 10)

Wind turbine blown over by wind (Dorset Echo - 16 Jul 10)

Breathtaking hypocrisy of windfarm industry (This is Cornwall - 14 Jul 10)

Developer disputes Government figures (Northern Echo - 14 Jul 10)

Call to halt offshore windfarms (National Wind Watch - 12 Jul 10)

Bird and bat deaths double standards (Calgary Herald - 10 Jul 10)

Comment on Environmental Assessments (The News - 9 Jul 10)

Lack of wind and rain means power cuts to come (Scotsman - 4 Jul 10)

School turbine switched off due to seabird slaughter (Telegraph - 4 Jul 10)

Windfarm planning process to be speeded up (Scotsman - 1 Jul 10)

Fairburn windfarm probably killed rare Red Kite (Press & Journal - 25 Jun 10)

Financial incentives destroying Scotland's wild scenery (The Herald - 23 Jun 10)

British landscapes under threat (Telegraph - 21 Jun 10)

Windfarm rhetoric a lot of hot air (This is Dorset - 21 Jun 10)

Windfarm companies paid not to produce electricity (Telegraph - 19 Jun 10)

Couple challenge windfarm in High Court (Westmoreland Gazette - 18 Jun 10)

Scottish Govt. says don't query "carbon benefits of windfarms" (Scotsman - 12 Jun 10)

Deputy Prime Minister - conflict of interest?
Wife on board of Spanish windfarm company - see:
Telegraph - 13 Jun 10
; Mail - 10 Jun ; Mail (letter) - 10 Jun

MSP says Scottish planning system for windfarms is a mess (Press & Journal - 10 Jun 10)

Proposal to build windfarm on peat (Press & Journal - 10 Jun 10)

Olympic turbine scrapped see also Comments (Times - 4 Jun 10) and Letter here (7 Jun 10)

Anti-windfarm demo. in Berlin 15 May - (EPAW)

Offshore windfarms danger to marine life and fishing industry (Electric News - 28 May 10)

High Court awards €341,830 damages after bogslide (Irish Times - 21 May 10)

Australian Liberals want 2km. separation from homes (The Age - 14 May 10)

Wind Energy Charade comparing apples to orangutans (Scienceblog - 12 May 10)

Dinner only when the wind blows (Telegraph-Journal - 30 Apr 10)

Wind industry wants 16 week planning period (Times - 23 Apr 10)

ROCs make millions for the rich (Sunday Times - 28 Mar 10)

Importance of Scottish peatlands (BBC News - 24 Mar 10)

Massacre of the birds (Telegraph - 13 Mar 10)

Noisy windfarms face crackdown (Telegraph - 13 Mar 10)

Subsidies top £1 billion a year (Telegraph - 23 Jan 10)

 


PETITIONS, CONSULTATIONS & PLANNING

 

PETITIONS

Petition to protect our wild land

EPAW -- demands moratorium on wind turbine construction in Europe

Petition to the Scottish Government to guarantee a minimum separation distance from any dwelling
now closed but progress will be available from this link

Petition to revise outdated noise guidelines
now closed

Petition for 2km separation distance in the UK
Closing date 23 December 2010

International Petition for separation distances

 

 

CONSULTATIONS

Draft Plan for Offshore Wind Energy in Scottish Territorial Waters
Deadline 16 August 2010
(see also Other News - Call to halt offshore windfarms )

Highland Council Community Councils Consultation
Now closed

Renewables Obligation (Scotland) consultation has ended
The Amendment Order came into force on 1 April 2010

Scottish Natural Heritage -
Siting and Designing Windfarms in the Landscape

now available

Highland Development Plan Scheme - Summer 2010

Highland Wide Local Development Plan under review

see also Development Plans Team Blog

DECC draft consultation on National Policy Statements for Energy Infrastructure
now closed

House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee report - The Economics of Renewable Energy

 

 

PLANNING

Details of Beauly Denny PI and Decision
(this looks likely to affect windfarm planning)

Windfarms - Distance from Housing (House of Commons Library - 8 Jan 10)

John o'Groats Masterplan 2009

Changes to Scottish Planning System (3 Aug 09)

Highland Council Scheme of Delegation (3 Sep 09)

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
see also:

document - draft Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy

 

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.

 


FOLLOW THE STORY

 

GORDONBUSH WINDFARM
Heavy police presence at protest
(Northern Times - 25 Mar 10)
First Protest
at Brora (Press & Journal - 24 Mar 10)
Problems in Yorkshire from windfarm traffic (BBC News - 9 Mar 10)
Call to civil disobedience over changed access route (Northern Times - 4 Mar 10)
SSE breaks promise on access route (Northern Times - 18 Feb 10)
Public meeting to challenge SSE decision (Northern Times - 25 Feb 10)

See also Letter (Northern Times - 25 Feb 10)
SSE breaks promise on access route (Northern Times - 18 Feb 10)
Planning application for alternative access submitted (Northern Times - 4 Jun 09)
Access route agreed
but consents required (Northern Times - 11 Dec 08)
Progress on access route row? (Northern Times - 4 Dec 08)
Councillors refuse to make decision on roadside wall (Northern Times - 6 Nov 08)

Planning Meeting Agenda and Report 3.3 (Highland Council website - 4 Nov 08))
Road widening recommended for approval (Northern Times - 3 Nov 08)
SSE rethink access route (Northern Times - 30 Oct 08)
Now they want larger turbines (Northern Times - 16 Oct 08)

Power company blames landowners (Northern Times - 9 Oct 08)
Salmond asked to intervene on access (Northern Times - 25 Sep 08)
Protest on access (Northern Times - 18 Sep 08)
Latest letters (Northern Times)
More letters (The Herald)
Long delays
on A9 (Northern Times - 11 Sep 08)

Estate says deer cull humane (Press & Journal - 6 Sep 08)
Windfarm to result in massive deer slaughter (Northern Times - 4 Sep 08)

Anger over threatened deer cull (Press & Journal - 4 Sep 08)
Row brewing over Gordonbush access (Northern Times - 28 Aug 08)
Dismay over Gordonbush access route (Northern Times - 21 Aug 08)


SHETLAND
Shameless tactics
(Shetland News - 26 Mar 10)
ASA bans developer's mailout
(Guardian - 11 Nov 09)
Windmills could kill 200,000 birds
(Shetland Times - 1 Oct 09)
Windfarm may still go ahead (Shetland Times - 5 Sep 09)
New hope for Shetland
(ClickGreen - 10 Aug 09)
SEPA
lodges formal objection - windfarm will have negative effect (Shetland Times - 28 Jul 09)
Growing opposition
(Guardian - 28 Jul 09)
Windfarm may release more Co2 than it saves (Scotsman - 25 Jul 09)
RSPB object
(Press & Journal - 25 Jul 09)
John Muir Trust
lodges objection (Shetland Times - 22 Jul 09)
More on conflict of interest (Scotsman - 15 Jul 09)
Councillors cannot make recommendation due conflict of interest (Shetland Times - 12 Jul 09)
3,600 signature petition
handed to Council (Herald - 1 Jul 09)
Petition
reaches 3,500 (BBC - 10 Jun 09)
Call to extend consultation
(BBC - 2 Jun 09)
Shetland threatened by huge windfarm (Guardian - 20 May 09)

WINDFARMS and RADAR:
Threat to aircraft (Times - 25 May 09)
MoD blasted
for mixed signals (Dumfries & Galloway Standard - 22 May 09)
MoD want Argyll turbines lit
at night (Press & Journal - 11 Sep 08)

MoD demand turbines are lit (National Wind Watch - 28 Aug 08)
Gordon Brown intervenes (thisismoney - 10 Aug 008)
Still no answer to Radar problem (Journallive - 9 Aug 08)

MoD object to windfarms (Northumberland Gazette - 17 Jul 08)

TELEVISION RECEPTION ISSUES
Turbine in Bangor
causing interference (BBC - 18 May 09)
More TV problems
in Co. Durham (Northern Echo - 30 Mar 09)
Co. Durham - company admits tv problems (Evening Chronicle - 6 Nov 08)
Television reception fears over Durran windfarm (Caithness Courier - 5 Nov 08)
Scottish Power pay to overcome tv interference problems (Sunday Herald - 2 Nov 08)
Windfarm blamed
for loss of TV (Independent.ie - 6 Oct 08)
Whitelee windfarm causing tv problems (East Kilbride News - 23 Jul 08)


PUBLIC INQUIRY REPORTING

 

Inquiry to resume after 2 years (BBC News - 4 Mar 10)
More evidence of Govt. interference ? (Berwickshire News - 25 Nov 09)
Letter - Construction before decision? (Southern Reporter - 12 Nov 09)
Fallago Rig Inquiry to be re-opened (Berwickshire News - 14 Oct 09
)
Still no Govt. decision on Fallago Rig (Scot Lib Dems - 5 Oct 09)
Council calls for Inquiry to be re-opened (BBC News - 11 Aug 09)
Second application submitted at Fallago Rig (Edinburgh Gazette - 17 Jul 09)
Ministers dragging their feet (Scot Lib Dems - 7 Jul 09)
Scottish Govt. interfering in Fallago Rig Public Inquiry (Berwickshire News - 6 May 09
)

Blackcraig windfarm - Dumfries & Galloway - Inquiry to resume (BBC News - 27 Oct 09)

Anger over leaked decision (Press & Journal - 26 Oct 09)
Power line gets go-ahead from Scottish Government (Sunday Herald - 25 Oct 09)
Holyrood accused of ignoring evidence from Beauly-Denny Inquiry (Scotsman - 4 Jul 09)

Glenfiddich windfarm to go to Public Inquiry following refusal (Northern Scot - 16 Oct 09)

Stacain windfarm refused after Inquiry (BBC News - 15 Oct 09)

Windfarm would have unacceptable impact on landscape (Courier - 10 Oct 09)
Logiealmond windfarm could have significant effect on wildlife (Courier - 19 Aug 09)
Scottish Ministers bow out of Logiealmond Inquiry (Perthshire Advertiser - 23 Jun 09)

Gorsedd Bran windfarm inquiry opens with protests (Denbighshire Free Press - 7 Oct 09)

More on Black Craig windfarm - Argyll & Bute (National Wind Watch - 2 Oct 09)
Black Craig Inquiry decision upheld (Buteman - 23 Sep 09)


Public Inquiries website with documents (Persona Associates)

 


ABOUT US

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.

 
Duncansby Stacks - Photo: Ben MacGregor

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.



Buolfruich Windfarm from Scaraben - Photo: Ben MacGregor

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.

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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The montage below compares the Test & Trials Facility at Janetstown (27m high), Dunnet Church (12m high), a proposed Strathy North Turbine (110m high), and an existing Forss turbine (78m high).




Photomontage by Stuart Young Visualisations

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