Following the approval of the proposed windfarm by a Council committee, we were told by Lewis Windpower, the developers, to look at the benefits of the project. Alright, here goes.
£3.4 million a year for leasing the land (benefits the landowners)
£1.85 million a year into a trust fund
400 jobs
Two of the three estates on which the turbines are to be built are in community ownership, Galson and Stornoway. Barvas is privately owned. £3.4 million is peanuts in comparison to the money that AMEC is going to make. And local electricity users do not stand to benefit from all that power in terms of reduced prices.
Four hundred jobs are not to be sniffed at. But whether they will be covered by local labour is seriously doubtful. Late in 2005, the Arnish Fabrication Yard advertised for 100 vacancies. They had to bring workers from mainland Scotland and outside the UK. Arnish is now defunct again.
I agree with the councillor for Ness that the island's heritage is going to be pillaged for peanuts. Personally, I think we're being offered a kist of beads and mirrors in exchange for the family silver, much like the native Indians on Manhattan Island in the 17th century. I was glad to note that councillors for the area came out strongly in opposition to the scheme.
"The councillors will be able to hire a coach to all go and get their honours at Buck House for services to desecration of moorland and over optimistic employment reports. As I said before they have sold out for 30 amps of silver. "
ReplyDeletecalumamec from Disgusted Ness
"In the past three years there have been three turbines behing my father's house in England. He has never ever seen anyone working around them and they are seldom operational. The operators told the press that these turbines are only clled into action to supplement the National Grid at times of heavy use. The employment figures associated with this project are on the spectrum of statistics at the lies end of things. Remember once the moor is blighted there is no going back. Tourists will give it a detour, I suspect the villages from Barava to Eoropie will become less desirable esp the Barvas end and people will wonder what sort of people were given stewardship of an island housing the Callanish Stones. One has to take the same island wide approach to stewardship as Lazarote where the uniformity of beauty and heritage is actively preserved. Stornoway Councillors 0 marks out of 10. You have sold out to the Wilsons and darlings of the world."
calumannabel from Keep windfarms around Dunoon