NEWS
There are planning applications affecting Moray & the surrounding area that need your objections NOW, click here to see more
23rd June 2008
How DO you kill a wind farm?? With difficulty it seems. Despite the fact that more people are cottoning on to the fact that no matter how many wind farms you build they can never replace conventional power stations, the Clashindarroch Wind Farm Application is being re-submitted as we have seen this afternoon at the 1st public exhibition. For those who don't know it, Clashindarroch is a large area of Forestry Commission land running from Huntly to the Cabrach.
Those crafty folk at AMEC have gone away after their application was previously refused and have now returned saying, "we have listened to the concerns expressed last time and have modified the proposal."... Hmmm... They've made it smaller - just 19 turbines, around 47Mw, so just under the maximum limit that can be approved by the Aberdeenshire Council, without needing government approval. Still early days yet, but the application will need to be fought all over. For the latest take a look at The Glassclash website
14th June 2008
We staged a small event in Dufftown Square between 11am and 4pm. Despite hideous weather with cold winds and driving rain squalls (you did know it is summer in Scotland?) almost 80 local folk stopped by to have a look and as a result, signed an objection letter. Thanks to all who helped and thank you to all those who objected. If you want to object your voice can still make a difference - click here to get a draft objection letter.
13th June 2008
Savills have sold their 50% stake in Infinergy (Infinergy is the company who is trying to get a wind farm approved on the Glenfiddich Estate). Why? Who knows.. perhaps they have realised that wind of change is blowing as more people are realising that wind farms are not the solution.
6th June 2008
AMEC have announced that they are re-submitting proposals for the Clashindarroch wind farm. Having got the project defeated once, it has got be fought all over again.
30th May 2008
Apologies for the delays in getting started with providing draft objection letters. Like everyone else, the small question of earning a living keeps interfering! However they are here now and we would urge anyone who believes that wind farms are a useless blight on the landscape to help by sending in an objection.
7th May 2008
It's starting.... The Environmental assessment for the Dorenell wind farm has been published.... Infinergy are holding a second series of public exhibitions (Cabrach on the 14th May and Dufftown on the 15th May) .. The planning application will follow shortly. If you support our opposition to this wind farm - please register with us.
4th May 2008
A planning application has been submitted for the Berry Burn wind farm - Your objections are needed if you think that this application should be rejected.
10th April 08
The Scottish Executive say, as a result of their survey into the economic impact of wind farms on tourism, that 97% of visitors to Scotland would return to Scotland. We argue that this is just another example of politicians "spinning" the results to present a favourable image. True; the survey results may have shown this, however how many people do you think were surveyed face to face? 1000? 3000? Perhaps 5000 would give a reasonable indication of what visitors feel. The answer is that just 380 visitors were surveyed face to face, with another 600 in the UK and 100 in the USA who have come, or are likely to come, to Scotland responding to an "Internet survey".
In 2005/6 over 2.5 million overseas visitors came to Scotland.... who knows the number that came up from England.
Can a poll of just 380 people give a true view. The answer is NO.
It is disgusting that the Executive believes it can promote the view that only 3% of visitors would find Scotland would not be disfigured by industrial scale wind farms.
In our own survey in the Tomintoul to Dufftown area, early results show that around 16% of visitors would definitely not return to the area if the Dorenell wind farm on the Glenfiddich estate was built.
By the end of the season we hope we will have over 1000 completed face to face surveys.... it makes a mockery of the supposed survey by the Executive.
24th March 08
The Guardian 24/3/08
We need more nuclear plants to avoid blackouts, say German power chiefs, "........blackouts could occur as early as this summer because of problems with wind power.........” See Here for more20th March 08
The Executive has published a survey carried out to determine the economic impact of wind farms on tourism in Scotland.
The conclusions of the survey are clearly trying to spin the case for wind farms.
However in a press release issued today, Scotland’s leading eco-tourism business Wilderness Scotland has raised serious questions regarding the accuracy and relevance of a recent Government-funded study into the impact of land-based wind power developments on Scottish tourism. Download the full press release here (MS word doc)
Here in Speyside, we are conducting a visitor survey throughout 2008. This is aimed at finding out what actual visitors to the area think about wind farms being built around the Northern edge of the Cairngorms. If you are an accomodation provider or chat to visitors during the course of your business, and would like to take part, please contact us.
19th March 08
Planning application submitted for a wind farm at Berry Burn, South of Forres. See here
This is just one of a series of applications for the Dava Moor area that may have a significant impact on the hydrology of the area and on the Tourist industry.
We are currently preparing a draft objection letter. If you would like a copy, please contact us.
18th March 08
Alma the Golden Eagle was being tracked one mile west of Glenfiddich Lodge and kept travelling to roost over night in Glenlivet - See Alma's travels here. Windfarms will affect our wildlife in the area!
27th Feb 08
Dear all at SOS Moray,
I did reply to the P&J saying that I was an ardent supporter of SOS Moray. To set the record straight - I would like you all to know that the Cabrach community association made a unanimous decision to hold no views either for nor agaisnt the wind farm. We were approached last month by Infinergy . They asked if we would form a pro lobby and this was unanimously rejected . We decided if they did want a pro lobby they could set it up themselves. I reject any notion that the Cabrach is in league with the Scottish government over this wind farm. The school had been under threat for nearly five years , a long time before this wind farm was ever conceived.
Yours
Helena Sierakowska
25th Feb 08
Letter from the Press & Journal
Sir, - Surely it is a remarkable piece of selfishness for the Sierakowska family to want the local primary school kept open for their two children at a cost of £100,000 a year when everyone else in the area is perfectly happy to attend Mortlach Primary at Dufftown, nearby (the Press and Journal, February 22). We have had an endless series of financial problems in Dufftown, involving such things as our community hall, repair of our central tower, the library, post office and public toilets, without such extravagance.
The only simple explanation is that the government is trying to ingratiate itself with the small Cabrach community during discussion about the establishment of an outsize windfarm nearby. Other people are not impressed.
W.R.P. Bourne,Ardgath,Station Road,Dufftown.
Jan 17th 08
Cairn Uish (Rothes) wind farm has applied for an extra 18 turbines. 15 of these will be over 400 feet high. This wind farm has already proved itself to be 75% INEFFICIENT, so why are we wasting more taxpayers money and ruining yet more moorland and our scenery by allowing even bigger monsters to be built? Please take just a couple of minutes to fire off an e-mail objecting to this planned increase.
Jan 17th 08
Press & Journal online today:
WINDFARMS MORATORIUM CALLA Euro MP has called for a moratorium on windfarms proposed for peatlands. Scottish Conservative MEP Struan Stevenson says deep peatland is a natural sink for carbon dioxide. And because peatlands have to be drained to build windfarms, "vast quantities" of CO2 is released into the atmosphere - reversing any impact on climate change.
Carbon dioxide is absorbed into forests and plants and then stored in the ground as they decay.
Mr Stevenson said peat bogs in the UK, the majority of which are in Scotland, stored the equivalent of Britain's output of CO2 for the next 21 years.
"In other words, if we destroy these peat bogs, we are effectively releasing all of the CO2 that our factories, coal-fired power stations, cars, lorries, buses, aircraft and every other carbon emitter would produce over that timescale." He added: "I hope that the evidence will be sufficient to convince the European Commission to call a halt to all future wind-turbine construction on peatland."
"In the meantime, I would urge the Scottish government to call a moratorium on all proposed windfarm developments on peatland until full scientific analysis has been carried out."
Jan 16th 08
Glenkirk Windfarm A Planning application for this wind farm is currently in planning with the Scottish Executive. If you are appalled by the idea of a wind farm in this area it is vital you register your objection now. Click HERE to find out to whom your objection should be made. Please don't delay.
January 8, 2008
It's down!!
The anemometer erected on Scaut Hill (Dorenell wind farm) by the wind farm developer, Infinergy, came down on the night of Friday 4th in the gales.
It's now just a pile of scrap.
Shame... of course if the turbines were there they would have had to have been shut down (if they did not fall down of course!) due to the high winds.
Wind Farms do not provide a reliable or controllable electricity supply.
See here
January 1, 2008 by Sam Reeves in The Herald
There must be a shake-up of the application system for wind farms to prevent time and money being wasted, it was claimed today.Tory deputy leader Murdo Fraser said that there were "no real guidelines" to show developers which sites were appropriate.
This has led to a "barrage" of applications being submitted for sites in Perthshire and the Stirling area that should not be considered, the mid-Scotland and Fife MSP claimed.
Much time and money were then wasted by both the developers and anti-wind farm campaigners confronting each other, when no application should have been made in the first place, he said.
Mr Fraser today called for a new planning system, which would make it clear where such applications were appropriate.
He said: "I believe that many wind farm applications are inappropriate and would cause more damage, both on the local environment and economy, than good.
"However, since there is a flawed planning system in place for wind farm applications then developers are still submitting applications to build them across the local area.
"This results in so much time, money and effort being put in by both the developers and groups opposed to the wind farm application.
"Everyone is losing out due to the flawed planning system."
He added: "2008 must be the year that the planning system is put right and I will press the Scottish Government to act and bring in new planning guidance."
23/12/07
You can now register your support for SOS Moray by using our simple on-line registration.
20/12/07
Happy Christmas and a turbine-free New Year!
The French organisation FED has invited supporters to send this card to
President Sarkozy, it bears the slogan: "La France n'est pas une
friche industrielle!" [France is not an industrial wasteland!].
In October this year (07), President Sarkozy announced the end of the French 'wind rush'. New wind turbines will be installed first in brownfields and far from 'emblematic rural localions'.
Come on Scotland... Tell our Executive not to destroy our iconic rural landscape and our tourist industry by permitting unfettered wind farm development.
Scotland is not, and does not want to be, an industrial waste land