Inappropriate wind farm
Sir, Now that the 11th and last of the soon-to-be (occasionally) twirling 100metre tall monstrosities which make up the Freasdail subsidy farm has been erected, this might be a good time to remind ourselves how this came about.
Almost no-one locally wanted this industrial installation in this highly visible location.
There were many letters of objection to the council and none in support; local meetings held by the scheme’s promoters to allow them to tick the ‘local consultation’ box on their application, saw very many people making their objections known.
The scheme came to be constructed as a result of a bizarre decision by the Scottish Government reporter. His very poorly argued report allowed the developer’s appeal against the decision of Argyll and Bute councillors to refuse permission for this large development.
The advice of every previously consulted organisation, governmental or otherwise, was against the scheme. His report contained such gems as the statement that the site’s distance from the B8001 Kennacraig to Skipness road would reduce its visibility from that road. Was he unimaginative or under pressure, one wonders?
The only people in favour, as far as I can see, were the developers, RES, the landowners and one or two people who could see a shortterm profit and were not concerned about the destruction of the landscape which makes this place special.
Readers might be interested to know that the machines, including their towers, and the cables have come from overseas. The only substantial local materials used have been the 40,000 plus tons of rock transported to the site by a fleet of trucks.
We shall now be able to watch these machines for several decades killing birds and transferring money from us, and disproportionately the less well-off among us, to those who are already rich enough to buy forests.
A more egregious example of an inappropriate industrial development contrary to the local development plan and local democracy is difficult to envisage.
The culprits are the SNP, with their illogical mania for these devices. David Bridge, Skipness.