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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.

Stroupster Windfarm Public Inquiry
The closing submissions for the Stroupster PLI can be accessed here.
A small number of people have donated very generously to the Stroupster Fighting Fund but there is still a big deficit. Please donate now to ensure that we can continue to oppose inappropriate wind development.

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

 

Dunbeath Windfarm
This application will be heard at a special sitting of the
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Planning Applications Committee
on 9 February 2010 in the Dunbeath Community Centre
Agenda and Planning Report can be found here
It has been recommended for approval so please attend the Hearing if you do not agree.
If you have not objected to this application - please do so now here

Baillie Windfarm approved - Inquiry and decision details

 

UK Windfarm Conference


Windfarm News - Scotland
(from National Wind Watch)

 


Camster, Achairn, Bilbster, Halsary and Causeymire windfarms from Tesco's car park in Wick.

Burn of Whilk, if approved, would be to the left of Camster. Wathegar, if approved, would be in between Achairn and Bilbster. Spittal Hill, if approved, would be to the right of Bilbster.
Photomontage by Stuart Young Visualisations - Click image for panorama

Halsary Windfarm

has now been advertised - see the location for 18 more turbines on the developer's map. The developers state that all the forest within the development site will be felled.

Please go to our Objections page and object now

There is also a map linked from our Windfarm Sites page - click on the Halsary Grid Ref.

 


Spittal Windfarm

From the Gillock road near the junction with the A882 Thurso to Wick road.
Nearest turbine is 1km away.

Photomontage by Stuart Young Visualisations

Spittal Windfarm - 30 x 110m max. turbines in the middle of Caithness

Go to www.spittalwindfarmopposition.co.uk and object now!

 


CAITHNESS/SUTHERLAND NEWS

 

Approval of Baillie like Clearances (John O'Groat Journal - 15 Jan 10)

Spittal developers face widespread protest (Press & Journal - 4 Dec 09)

5 schools in and near Wick are planning to instal turbines
Raasay school turbine collapses (National Wind Watch - 21 Nov 09)
and another school turbine collapse (Daily Mail - 2 Dec 09)

Community Council defend democracy (John O'Groat Journal - 12 Jun 09)

Are developers exploiting system at taxpayers' expense? (John O'Groat Journal - 29 May 09)

2km rule applies to single dwellings (Caithness Courier - 15 Apr 09)

 


OTHER NEWS

 

E.ON's moving hay bale (Berwick Advertiser - 3 Feb 10)

Labour to reform energy policy (Times - 1 Feb 10)

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

A black day for democracy (Press & Journal - 21 Jan 10)

Power firms will not bury cables (Scotsman - 19 Jan 10)

Beauly Denny decision a shambles (Press & Journal - 15 Jan 10)
for details see under Planning

Minister ignores JMT and RSPB in Western Isles (Press & Journal - 15 Jan 10)

Minister disregarded Reporter's recommendations on Beauly Denny (Scotsman - 14 Jan 10)

Will there be "green" jobs for UK? (Ecologist - 13 Jan 10)

Letter - It's all about cash, not climate (Hunts Post - 13 Jan 10)

Wind farms produced "practically no electricity" in cold snap (Telegraph - 11 Jan 10)

Government policy will not plug energy gap (Observer - 10 Jan 10)

Interesting discussion - see Comments (Guardian - 9 Jan 10)

The cost of Green energy (thisismoney - 2 Jan 10)

Letter - problems with wind energy supply (Irish Times - 30 Dec 09)

Materials for turbines damage ecology (New York Times - 25 Dec 09)

Report from Wales (Wales Online - 22 Dec 09)

Australian report on significant health problems from windfarms (Weekly Times - 24 Dec 09)

Article - More study needed on health effects (Toronto Star - 19 Dec 09)

Officials cover up wind farm noise report (Sunday Times - 13 Dec 09)

Copenhagen's carbon footprint (Telegraph - 5 Dec 09)

Opinion - Global warming - time to be adult (Independent - 2 Dec 09)

Wind means more CO2 (New Civil Engineer - 26 Nov 09)

Noise regulations 11 years out of date (Telegraph - 26 Nov 09)
See Petition further down this page

Wind of deceit (Times - 22 Nov 09)

BBC sells windfarm scam to farmers (Telegraph - 21 Nov 09)

Wind power will make Britain the dirty old man of Europe (Telegraph - 20 Nov 09)

Change in planning requirements for wind turbines (Times - 18 Nov 09)

The real cost of wind power (Sunday Express - 15 Nov 09)

Opinion - The reality of wind turbines (Daily Observer - 14 Nov 09)

IMechE say climate targets unachievable (BBC News - 13 Nov 09)

New quango may change rural Britain for ever (Times - 19 Sep 09)

Windfarm battle over noise goes to High Court (Telegraph - 16 Sep 09)

Highland Council to protect coastline from development (Press & Journal - 17 Aug 09)

Windfarms could emit more CO2 than coal-fired power stations (Guardian - 13 Aug 09)

Govt. to lend £1bn. to developers (Guardian - 27 Jul 09)

The lights will go out (Daily Mail - 14 Jul 09)

Government may override objectors (EDP24 - 14 Jul 09)

CBI call for more nuclear, less wind (Daily Telegraph - 13 Jul 09)
Full CBI Press Release (CBI - 13 Jul 09)

Govt. plan to quadruple windfarms (Times - 13 Jul 09)
Tilting at windfarms (Times - 13 Jul 09)

Cost of windfarms could be £120 per household by 2014 (Daily Mail - 10 Jul 09)

Windfarms can be built in AONBs says Minister (Politics - 6 Jul 09)

Comment - Six turbines a day until 2020 (Telegraph - 27 Jun 09)
£15 billion cost to connect to national grid (Telegraph - 25 Jun 09)
UK Minister announces huge increase in offshore windpower (Reuters - 24 Jun 09)

 


PETITIONS, CONSULTATIONS & PLANNING

 

PETITIONS

Petition to revise outdated noise guidelines

New petition for 2km separation distance in the UK

International Petition for separation distances

 

 

CONSULTATIONS

Scottish Natural Heritage -
Assessing the cumulative effects of onshore wind energy developments
closes 12 February 2010

Scottish Natural Heritage -
Siting and Designing Windfarms in the Landscape

now available

 

Highland Wide Local Development Plan

Links to the Main Issues Report
Coastal Development Strategy and
Strategic Environmental Assessment Report
can all be found on the above page

Responses from the main organisations consulted can be found here.
The Scottish Natural Heritage response is of particular relevance.

 

DECC draft consultation on National Policy Statements for Energy Infrastructure
closes 22 February 2010

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)

 

John o'Groats Masterplan 2009

Summary of Highland Development Plans under review

Changes to Scottish Planning System (3 Aug 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


SHETLAND
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)

GORDONBUSH WINDFARM
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)

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

 

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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