The Reporter to the public inquiry into the Eishken Windfarm has published the report - a year after it was written. Hebrides News is giving two conflicting slants to the report. The first states that a maximum of 53 turbines can be built. Unfortunately, Eishken estate owner Nick Oppenheim has resubmitted a new plan with fewer if taller turbines, which stand outside the National Scenic area.
The John Muir Trust, according to another report on Heb News, is claiming victory, saying it creates a legal precedent against windfarm developments in similar surroundings. The problem is, as I stated a line or two back, that another plan has been drawn up for a windfarm in Eishken, making the findings of the public enquiry irrelevant to the current situation.
I have said before that this development will always be rubberstamped by the planning authority, being the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Only the torpedoing of the Beauly to Denny powerline upgrade is likely to scupper the project. And that public inquiry is similarly overdue.
somehow ,i think whatever the decision a lot of people are going to be unhappy/angry about it:
ReplyDeleteHave read both reports and the lip service just keeps on coming. When will the greed and self-serving of some of these players be seen through. We hope for more delays and wish that more people cared enough about the Environment enough to make this a no-brainer from here on on...not holding my breath but still hoping!!!..RJG
ReplyDeleteThere is an article in last Sunday's Scotland on Sunday concerning the back drop of Duff House, an 18th C. mansion in Banff near the Moray Firth. This is a 5 star visitor attraction or was up until a local farmer was given permission to stick two turbines behind it. Now various people including eminent profs and directors of this and that are jumping up and down because the turbines make the building look like it has 'Mickey Mouse' ears. From the picture in the paper I don't see this myself but the turbines do make the skyline look awful. I bet the photomontages in the planning application did not look like this. So if the great and good are getting upset about a building that is nearly 300 years old being compromised by a couple of windmills why are we standing by when a landscape that is over 2 billion years old is going to be ruined by 53/39 or 133 turbines? More to the point why is our marvellous council and various publically funded quangos supporting a private landowner and millionaire?
ReplyDelete