Group’s energy rethink
Members of conservation charity, Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs (FOLLAT), are changing its stance towards large scale renewable energy projects.
In the past the group has steadfastly opposed large-scale schemes which it felt might damage what they see as the special qualities of valued landscapes in the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park – which includes a section of Strathearn.
Friends chair John Urquhart said: “Global warming is creating new imperatives. As a conservation charity, we have a duty to react.
“I have no doubt we have an important role to play in addressing the issues which are being created at our local level, so‘thinking globally and acting locally’, last month our trustees agreed several points in relation to the matter.”
Mr Urquhart continued:“Without doubt this is a radical departure for the Friends, but the trustees believe the current circumstances give them little option.
“Nonetheless, for some, it remains a controversial matter, so we have asked our members to make sure we have their backing. To date, only five per cent have voiced dissent.
“The Friends was set up almost half a century ago to fight plans for a pumped storage hydro-electric installation which was to be built inside Ben Lomond – much the same as was done around the same time at Ben Cruachan further west on Loch Aweside.
“Their campaign was successful and the Ben Lomond scheme was never built. Nowadays energy planners would give their eye teeth to have such a facility.
“Now Scottish and Southern Electricity is proposing to partially convert their Sloy hydro-electric installation to pumped storage. How ironic that today the Friends will be enthusiastically supporting this project!”
Mr Urquhart went on to explain that the Friends recently agreed that policy priorities should be to “provide for the protection, and promotion of the park’s special qualities and that there was an “ever-strengthening argument that there is nothing more important than reducing damaging atmospheric emissions”.
The charity chair added:“FOLLAT believes very large wind turbines and photovoltaic schemes as well as energy storage facilities such as pumped storage schemes and battery installations, sited in appropriate locations on the edge of – and perhaps in certain special circumstances, in carefully selected areas, even within – the national park need not be unduly detrimental to the park’s special qualities.”
He concluded:“FOLLAT should be adopting a leadership role in recognising the critical importance of renewable energy and storage systems and should therefore be actively encouraging and facilitating their development on appropriate sites within and around the park.”