Communities and the environment must be windfarm policy priorities
SIR,
Quite a few years ago an intending windfarm developer visited me to discuss his proposals. I made a few suggestions and added two requests: one, that a pylon would, in the interest of the visual aspect, be removed or re-located and, secondly, that the connection line to the national grid would be ‘undergrounded’.
The developer agreed to both requests and to my suggestions, including one of making annual contributions to local community organisations. That enterprise, I believe, continues to flourish.
That person’s approach should have become the benchmark for all windfarm developments but, in truth, it is the exception.
The large companies, intent primarily on large long-term profits, have plundered and devalued many locations – including some of prime scenic value. Very few, to my knowledge, have enhanced either financially or aesthetically the local people or their environment. I do know that there has been a recent announcement of local contributions being allocated by one windfarm. I hope that it is a long term commitment.
The sequestration of carbon gases is of world- wide importance in the great struggle against climate change. It is long recognised that peatland is of prime value in that long
term storage. Yet, the authorities have for many years allowed the windfarm speculators almost uncontrolled access to our hill tops and mountain sides.
In the process, ugly zig-zag roads have degraded prime visual aspects as they ascend to the summit at which locations millions of tonnes of virgin bog is uprooted to facilitate the embedding of the enormous concrete bases of the pylons. The contradiction is too obvious to need explanation.
A great opportunity has been lost to encourage local land owners and community co-operatives to develop small to medium sized wind farms in areas where scenery is not the primary attraction. But this has not come to pass because the large companies have come and thus far shown little or no respect for local communities or for the primacy of scenery in tourist areas.
I have listened in horror to local people and their public representatives speak of how their little county roads and precarious bridges were damaged by the movement of the mechanical monsters accessing the wind farm sites. Respect for people or their precious surrounds are very scarce indeed. This degradation of people and their own place must stop.
I was once an enthusiast for maximising the potential of wind for the generation of electricity but, alas, the harsh reality of what has taken place over many years has lost the potentially wonderful industry a friend.
Fine words must be matched by noble deeds. Otherwise, we must as communities unite and very strongly say: No. Communities and the environment, at many levels, must be priority,
Sincerely,
Michael Gleeson [Cllr] Clasheen,
Killarney.