Ministers bow out of Logiealmond's wind farm row
Perthshire Advertiser |Les Stewart|June 24, 2009
The decision on the Logiealmond Wind Farm will not now be determined by Scottish Government Ministers in conjunction with the Calliacher Wind Farm application - but will be decided by delegated authority. The news, received by Perth and Kinross Council, has been greeted with dismay by Councillor Barbara Vaughan, the Conservative representative for the Strathtay Ward.
The decision on the Logiealmond Wind Farm will not now be determined by Scottish Government Ministers in conjunction with the Calliacher Wind Farm application - but will be decided by delegated authority. The news, received by Perth and Kinross Council, has been greeted with dismay by Councillor Barbara Vaughan, the Conservative representative for the Strathtay Ward.
The decision on the Logiealmond Wind Farm will not now be determined by Scottish Government Ministers in conjunction with the Calliacher Wind Farm application - but will be decided by delegated authority.
The news, received by Perth and Kinross Council, has been greeted with dismay by Councillor Barbara Vaughan, the Conservative representative for the Strathtay Ward.
She said: "Many of us were heartened when we received the news, in April, that the appeals for the Calliacher Wind Farm and the Logiealmond Wind Farm would be decided jointly by Scottish Ministers."
"This seemed to make a lot of sense, since the total impact of both potential developments on those living in Strathbraan, and on their businesses, could be looked at …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]The decision on the Logiealmond Wind Farm will not now be determined by Scottish Government Ministers in conjunction with the Calliacher Wind Farm application - but will be decided by delegated authority.
The news, received by Perth and Kinross Council, has been greeted with dismay by Councillor Barbara Vaughan, the Conservative representative for the Strathtay Ward.
She said: "Many of us were heartened when we received the news, in April, that the appeals for the Calliacher Wind Farm and the Logiealmond Wind Farm would be decided jointly by Scottish Ministers."
"This seemed to make a lot of sense, since the total impact of both potential developments on those living in Strathbraan, and on their businesses, could be looked at objectively."
"Unfortunately, we now have the SNP Ministers revoking this decision, and retaining the decision on Calliacher in their hands, but handing over the decision for Logiealmond to delegated authority."
"It would seem that the arguments, that have been made by the people living in the area, about the possible cumulative negative impact of wind farms on their lives, have fallen on deaf ears.
"These arguments were made tellingly by them to both the recent Calliacher Wind Farm inquiry and the previous Griffin Wind Farm inquiry."
Councillor Vaughan added: "This looks suspiciously like Holyrood Ministers deciding that once the area has had the 68 turbines of the Griffin Wind Farm foisted on them, then the area is fair game for as many more turbines as possible.
"This is even more puzzling since the implications in several recent ministerial statements from Holyrood point to the increased importance of off-shore wind farms and wave power in renewable energy generation."
"I will be making strong representations to the Logiealmond Wind Farm Inquiry in August that, despite the ministerial decision to decide these applications separately, it's imperative the cumulative impact of the two wind farms should be of prime importance in any decision."