Windfarm illegal?

Readers in the island and northern Scotland will have seen the headline exclusive in the Press and Journal today, Saturday 17 February. The RSPB has now asserted that approving the planning application, as submitted by Lewis Wind Power in December 2006 was not legal.

Oops.

Apparently, a large area of land on which the windfarm is proposed to be constructed is subject to European directives. These were not taken into account by LWP, and neither did the Comhairle make any effort to force LWP to upgrade its environmental impact study to take that into account.

The Scottish Executive is next in line to cast its eye over the application and they say they will take ALL aspects into account. Let's hope this includes the environmental side rather more than the Comhairle did. Methinks our councillors were more interested in the money and the perceived benefits. What benefits?

A public inquiry now looks on the cards, and European involvement also appears to be more and more certain. The EU doesn't take too kindly to officials who conveniently forget about their directives.

I don't know if this is acceptable on Island Blogging, but I liked this image