A lost respect

Sir, I wrote some of my views to you in December 2015 and January 2016. It is shocking and devious the way the Rokpa Trust is persisting with this ugly project and spending a lot of money in hiring consultants and research professionals in order to turn against the wishes of the Arran Community Council plus thousands of people including Arran residents.

Devious? The monks spend months researching new ways to get their ill-gotten gains and then leave a couple of weeks for people to object when they find out what is going on. I think my instincts eight months ago reflected an accurate assessment of the Rokpa Trust and the residing monks. So much for their Ten Precepts and Five Golden Rules. I have now lost respect for them and have now cancelled my proposed visit to the Holy Isle when visiting Arran later in August.

As Donald McNicol said, the Trust may aspire to be completely independent of the Arran or wider community but the reality is that it is part of the community, both local and national and has benefited from financial support from government and our local goodwill. So the monks use our financial goodwill to help foist an eyesore that the Arran Community Council strongly object to. The council speaks for all the people, including tourists, who are against the turbines on the Holy Isle.

The Banner has done an excellent job in reporting this turbine situation and I hope that many people will quickly express their views. Those opposed should rail against the monks and seek our own professional consultations with Prestwick Airport and environmental agencies. We are blessed with a strong, well run community council and hopefully a supportive North Ayrshire Council.

A clean fight you say? Well, I would watch your back with the Rokpa Trust, which has shown its modus operandi – so full throttle to rid us of this environmental threat. Let’s fly the banner for the Isle of Arran.

Yours, Edward Jackson, Glasgow.