Beautiful structures

Sir, The tone of last week’s letter from Edward Jackson of Glasgow in the Banner left an unpleasant taste in the mouth that is becoming all too familiar in these intolerant times. The loud minority all too often hold sway over the silent majority and never is this more true, it seems, than in opposition to plans for renewable energy.

Edward Jackson is, I’m sure, aware that it is customary for planning applicants to re-present their proposal after making changes that seek to address the objections made against it. Heaven forbid that ‘Arran Community Council plus thousands of people including Arran residents (sic)’ should be allowed the opportunity to change their ‘wishes’ in the light of new proposals.

The Rokpa Trust has successfully addressed the concerns of Prestwick Airport by proving that there will be no radar interference and it has reduced the number and changed the location of the turbines, to address the concerns of other objectors, so it seems entirely reasonable for its proposal to be considered again.

It is the planning regulations that determine the length of time that objectors have to raise objections, not the Rokpa Trust, so to suggest that the timescales in this case are ‘devious’ is absurd.

It is not clear where Edward Jackson was going with his reference to the Rokpa Trust ‘researching new ways to get their ill-gotten gains’, but, apart from being a logical impossibility and very poor English, sounded like he was imputing the source of its funding. If so, then he had better provide the evidence for this allegation.

Judging from a discussion of the topic on the Arran Community Forum on Facebook, there are many residents of Arran who support the proposal for Holy Isle. Indeed, if the number of responses is indicative, these would seem to outnumber those who oppose it by roughly three to one.

Wind turbines may be an ugly eyesore to Edward Jackson, but neither he nor the Arran Community Council speaks ‘for all the people’. I find them beautiful structures and I love the way their movement in the landscape attracts my eye and draws me to inspect their surroundings. My heart lifts every time I see a wind turbine, as it speaks to me, like a work of art, and says ‘mankind will do better’.

No doubt, in 1877 there were people, like Edward Jackson, who objected to the building of Holy Isle Inner Lighthouse, but the same type of people would object most strongly if it were to be demolished today. The day of the lighthouse is gone, but the day of the wind turbine is now; I urge people to delight in it, not decry it.

I suggest that Edward Jackson look into his own heart and challenge his own understanding of beauty and then look again at the planning application.

Yours, Chris Mowatt, Kildonan House, Kildonan.