Windfarm worries

We are truly blessed by the natural beauty around us in Kintyre and Knapdale.

But with the current drive for renewable energy and the destruction and industrialisation of these peninsulas that brings – for little local benefit and with no control for those most affected – I feel it is important some considerations should be taken into account by planners.

From my early years in Angola, where my grandfather built his own 12 volt wind charger which charged a battery to power a light in his home, this set up so impressed me I have been interested in alternatively energy and efficient power storage/transmission. That being said I feel very strongly that when coming before planners, the term ‘sustainable’ should include ongoing psychological wellbeing, physical health and financial considerations from the harm to earning power (tourism for example) and the loss of property value. These things cause stress and do not appear to be factored into decision making. I think the strong community connections which Sròndoire and Allt Dearg windfarms have maintained from planning stage onward has reduced the impact on local people’s stress as they know of people who have benefited directly or indirectly from these windfarms.

For example our firemen were beating a raging hill fire with traditional beaters... along comes an eight-wheel ATV with the latest fire fighting fog generator which worked like magic and needed only a small water tank.

These connections with the local communities have created and maintained good will, the value of which cannot be overestimated.

Tarbert is fresh from the losing the fight against SSEN’s transmission line, specifically towers 205, 206 & 207 where the line dog-legs back from the direct line to deposit two 63 metre pylons onto the southern hill (Achnaglach) – which stands 60 metres above sea level – without any explanation for changing the preferred direct route. My wife and I gathered over 200 signatures from local people in 24 hours complaining about this change without success.

People in Tarbert are heartily scunnered by the lack of power the usual controls have had in the face of SSEN’s seeming indifference to those most affected. We need the power locally to make the infrastructure sustainable or disarm the anger by developing long-term good community relationships.

As far as I can see, it is as if SSEN and most of the wind farm developers have been given the ultimate power to be as reckless as they can be.

I have found that the information provided by all developers to be confusing and full of charts and tables giving subjective criteria without specific objectively studied proof. Wireline schematics and maps are too small and clunky compared to, say, Google Maps. Too few view points have been given.

I believe that what has happened in the Barr Glen (shut down of tower 9) may well prove to be what the locals need, to have a moratorium called on all wind farm developments until the science catches up with the negative impact massive turbines will have.

I understand that a PhD level study has been funded for this purpose.

Jonathan Arnot, Tarbert.