‘Open door’ policy on windfarms is wrong

If a foreigner were to look at a map of wind farms and current windfarm applications in the UK I think they would assume a helpless Scotland had had them all dumped on their glorious landscape by a Westminster Government.

I think they would find it inexplicable that a Scottish Nationalist Government had driven this policy. Even more inexplicable is that a once proudly democratic nation does not have the same rights as people in England in this regard. Vattenfall's managing director of onshore wind, Frank Elsworth, was quoted this week as saying Scotland is seen as having an “open door policy” and the kind of stable environment in terms of policy that encourages firms to develop windfarms in the country. “England has primarily pushed everything offshore,” noted Mr Elsworth, adding: “It has introduced policy which is quite a barrier to development: The requirement for demonstrable local support of over fifty per cent and demonstrating that your windfarms are captured in local development plans, they’re quite significant hurdles.”

Shouldn't locals in Scotland have the same rights? Shouldn't legally binding Local Plans which take years and consultations to prepare be adhered to? Why should local councils have to pay, out of our Council Tax, for Public Inquiries to uphold our Local Plans? A single unelected Government Reporter with Ministers’ approval with an "open door policy" decides these Inquiries. The wind industry has taken advantage of lockdown and is pushing ahead with expansion while there can be no proper public consultation or live Public Inquiries. Does rural Scotland have anyone to speak for them?

Wake up Scotland. This is your country.

CELIA HOBBS

Peebles Road Penicuik, Midlothian