Chamber and committees

George Herraghty submission of 7 June 2021

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

In my opinion, developers always have the upper hand.

Having sat through a number of public enquiries I would like to relate my experiences. I believe that a presumption in favour of development is utterly wrong when it comes to something as important as energy and the environment.

What right have giant, foreign-owned, multinational developers to ruin our finest natural landscapes and seascapes against the wishes of local people?

One windfarm inquiry I sat through was only rejected when a well-known outdoor writer and mountaineer pointed out that if one of the turbines fell over it would actually be inside a National Park!

In my opinion, developers are playing the system

In my experience, the location of wind farms is frequently obscured by Gaelic names to hide the close proximity to local residential property. Folk haven’t a clue until it’s too late.

Hundreds of people around the world have had to force developers to provide compensation payments because of noise nuisance.

In my opinion, applications are invariably submitted during peak holiday times, Christmas, Easter etc. when folk are away, or under cover of Covid restrictions, to minimise objections.

I believe the word “Community” is often included in the scheme to pretend they have local support.

Viewings are mainly held during working hours so locals can’t easily see the proposals. The time allowed for the public to voice concerns is far, far too short.

In my experience, developers apply for say 30 Turbines, drop the number to 20 to assuage legitimate concerns, then apply for an ‘Extension’ at a later date. This happens time and time again. Crystal Rigg IV decimating the Lammermuir hills, for example.

Setting the Scene

I attended a recent Speyside Public Enquiry. The developers’ tables were groaning under a veritable mountain of paper that would have felled a Scandinavian Forest. Each team member was fronted by multiple, plastic bottles of water. The car park outside bristled with the largest 4x4 SUVs you have ever seen. Saving the Planet?

Locals who actually do care about the environment had flasks of tea and turned up in small cars, or on bikes.

At the lunchtime break, I had the temerity to ask the Government appointed Reporter for the figures – the actual number of objections and support. After consulting his laptop, he found the complex system so impenetrable he couldn’t even tell me.

Intimidation

The worst aspect of all from developers, in my opinion, is the deliberate put-down of local residents who care passionately about their own unspoilt surroundings.

A public local enquiry is NOT a court of law and should in no way be treated as such.

I watched a local B&B owner whose very livelihood depends on unspoilt scenery being subjected to, what I felt was, harrowing questioning by slick, highly-practised lawyers who inferred that a mere woman couldn’t understand the technicalities.

Another Speyside resident only found out about a proposed windfarm extension when a developer’s employee came to his door to ask about his water supply.

His outdoor-pursuits business depends entirely on open access to unspoilt open hillsides for recreation, hillwalking, photography etc. Speyside is meant to be a treasured scenic area and internationally-important, malt whisky country.

Again, he was subjected to harrowing questioning, and had to be rescued by a relative, who just happened to be an expert engineer. The developer then tried to undermine his authority by insinuating his qualifications were out of date and obtained south of the border.

Funding?

Local authorities and residents have to fund any campaign entirely from their own limited and meagre resources. The developers, in my experience, have countless millions to fund their campaign.

Saving the Planet?

 It seems to me that the level of subsidy is so lucrative to the developer that they can afford to take full page advertisements in national newspapers. The public should be made aware how much energy companies spend on advertising.

To me, it is blindingly obvious that the wind industry is NOT here to ‘Save the Planet’ but to make shed loads of money. This simply cannot continue!