Kilberry windfarm dismay

Sir,

Many residents will be appalled to learn yet another unsuitable development, Airigh windfarm, has been waved through by our craven politicians in Edinburgh.

I am not against windfarms per se. Wind turbines do not look out of place along the industrial corridor between Glasgow and Edinburgh and, of course, their rightful place is far out to sea.

But I do take exception to unsuitable wind farm developments in areas of outstanding scenic beauty.

My family have walked the hills behind Kilberry for almost 500 years and my ancestors will be turning in their lead lined coffins at the thought of an industrial landscape no more than a couple of miles from their ancestral home.

Our councillors, whose actions make the ‘Grand old Duke of York’ appear decisive, swithered back and forth and then caved in to behind-the-scenes lobbying by ‘interested parties’.

The developer saw fit to ride roughshod over existing rural legislation specifically designed to protect sensitive areas and several species of rare birds.

It is also worth mentioning the majority of Kilberry residents were opposed to this development.

It is a really disheartening human trait that one type of person will view an area of outstanding scenic beauty as an opportunity for exploitation and personal gain, whereas another type of person will want to preserve and cherish something uniquely special.

You hear little about the ethics of community trust funds and there is no doubt the money can do a lot of good for communities.

But some of us with a delicate constitution are a tad squeamish when money is offered as a form of restitution. This unpalatable fact leaves a rather unpleasant taste in my mouth.

What the developers are saying is this. We will give you all this money and in return we want you to hold your nose and look the other way while we trash the most beautiful scenic area in your community, drive out or kill all the rare birds and replace what you have with an industrial landscape for at least a generation. John Campbell, Kilberry.