8 Oct 2024
“From national parks to rewilding and wind farms, people in the countryside are fed up of being ignored by politicians” – this is the feeling of many which has been summed up in The Times today.
It is interesting to see that eminent journalists, such as Magnus Linklater, former Scotland editor of The Times, has captured the mood felt by so many Scots, particularly those living in the Borders.
When it comes to wind farm development, communities increasingly feel that individual onshore wind applications, which are growing rapidly, are unconnected to any wider strategy.
In the article, he explores the vast number of wind farm projects being planned in the Borders, some which will be 200 metres high, as well as new transmission lines from Galashiels to Carlisle, striding across the Tweed, Yarrow, Ettrick and Borthwick valleys, down into Liddesdale.
The impact of the latest wind farm proposals in the Borders will be, in his words, “colossal” for local communities, their visual amenity, as well as farming and rural business.
He describes the lobbying efforts of many as a “losing battle” against the unwavering push for renewable energy and the developers, but recognises that perhaps the dial is starting the shift.
As we have seen, objections from the Ministry of Defence, which has concerns that wind turbines could destabilise their highly sensitive monitoring plant in Eskdalemuir, for wind farm developments such as Greystone Knowe, are critical.
Consultation in the planning system is an issue of major concern – and it is particularly problematic in the Borders. Since last year, Scottish Borders Council (SBC) has decided to not take account of the public’s views when formulating its consultation responses to the Energy Consents Unit (ECU). Instead, SBC has advised the public to submit their responses to the ECU directly.
This prompted Senior Counsel (acting on instructions) to submit a petition to SBC’s Petitions Committee asking that the Planning and Building Standards Committee review the procedures currently operated by Planning Officers in respect of wind farm planning applications.
By not considering important external consultee responses and those from the public, our Councillors are potentially not appraised of the full picture, an approach that is certainly not "best practice", compared with other planning authorities. No update has been provided on this.
Magnus Linklater concludes: “Country folk are not normally considered a voluble lot but revolution is in the air and it would be unwise to ignore them.”
Read the full article here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/country-folk-are-tired-of-being-ignored-revolution-is-in-the-air-b9ngptnls