Chamber and committees

Jerry Mulders submission of 4 June 2021

PE1864/L - Increase the ability of communities to influence planning decisions for onshore windfarms

As a member of New Cumnock Community Council, I am writing to support this petition as New Cumnock is being encircled by relentless industrial wind farm developments, with many planning applications running simultaneously.

The points below indicate the areas of concern:

1. Communities are not resourced or equipped to take a full part in the process of major planning applications. Without any support in respect of planning, environmental science and transport, expertise in the community is in the hands of a few volunteer amateurs to assess the impact by each application.

2. Communities are not assisted, represented, or resourced in any way by the Local Planning Authority (LPA) at the planning stage or, at public inquiries, with need of ‘impartiality’ being cited as the reason why. At a recent wind farm enquiry, Community Council members were dismayed when we were informed by LPA officers, that we were ‘on our own’ and could not co-operate or rely on the resources of LPA, regardless that the LPA also opposed the proposed development. As volunteer members of the affected community, we have repeatedly requested help from the Local Planning Authority, Planning Aid Scotland, our local MSP Jeane Freeman and even Paul Wheelhouse MSP as Energy Minister. None were able to offer anything remotely helpful.

3. Communities are not being supported with cumulative wind farm mapping; cumulative photomontages do not reflect precise viewpoints that communities consider relevant.

4. Relentless multiple major planning applications, year after year, decade after decade are leading to overload and exhaustion by communities

5. There is no respite for the community, as once project consent is gained, applications are lodged for the same development, increasing the size of the project and/or the size of the turbines. To support this statement, a recently prepared map has been published online. This shows how our environment is being filled by industrial wind turbines, akin to a jigsaw puzzle being completed. https://scotlandagainstspin.org/2019/11/latest-wind-farm-map-of-new-cumnock-area-in-east-ayrshire/

 6. Scottish ministers granting wind farm option agreements though government agencies overriding already existing local community plans for the identical locations with the full knowledge of those agencies.

7. Developers utilising well-funded, professional Public Relations companies to secure planning consents by lobbying councillors and using what we believe are unfair and high-pressure tactics on affected communities’ doorsteps. It is our experience that these ‘consultants’ are there primarily to tip any controversial planning application over the edge in the applicants’ favour.

8. Community benefit agreements cannot be secured within a Section 75 agreement, meaning communities need to enter into separate legal agreements with each developer, which places another legal burden on volunteers.

9. Communities feeling ‘under siege’ where homes and places of work are now going to be completely encircled by many giant moving structures. We are already at full capacity on the East, South and Western horizons, with the northern skyline, the last remaining turbine free area, is now being targeted by developers. This incessant wind farm tsunami is turning the community from a supporter of wind power to one against. “When is enough, enough?” is the question being asked.

10. With the ever-increasing turbine heights, come aviation obstruction waring lights, up to 4 lights per turbine. These lights will flash when blades pass by, turning areas previously void of any light pollution, (using a local quote) into “blinking red light districts”

11. Whilst the whole planning process is there to prevent the development of inappropriate wind farms, the mere application brings a significant burden on the same communities that had to endure the proliferation of opencast mining. Every new wind farm application brings with it the renewed uncertainty about cumulative construction disturbance through our streets, by our homes, schools and places or work. The continuous late nights endured by local volunteers to listen to ‘developer spin’, studying and verifying the enormous volumes of data these major planning applications bring whilst keeping to very short consultation response deadlines. All this, time after time, project after project. We are continuously told ‘not all will get through’, but that is usually by those that do not spend their free time assessing mountains of planning documents. The workload is never ending.