Anger at huge deer cull for windfarm
Protesters fear shortage of beasts for stalking could put local jobs at risk.
Plans for a huge deer cull before the construction of a windfarm in east Sutherland has raised concerns it could adversely affect the local economy.
Some people living around the site fear the development’s habitat management plan (HMP) would reduce the number of deer available for stalking on local estates and therefore affect jobs in the area, and that it would adversely affect tourism.
In April of this year, Scottish ministers gave Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) the go-ahead for the 35-turbine windfarm at Gordonbush, near Brora, which would produce 87.5Megawatt of electricity, capable of supplying power to 37,000 homes.
The consent was subject to conditions to minimise potential disturbance to local wildlife and to safeguard local interests.
But a local protest group has now produced a leaflet, entitled “It is not too late to stop Gordonbush windfarm from destroying our community”, which is being sent to their community councillors, Highland councillors and MSPs in a last ditch attempt to stop the development going ahead.
It claims the windfarm would have a “disastrous effect” on landscape, habitat and wildlife, and criticises the HMP the company has produced to mitigate these effects.
The document states: “The HMP is still in draft form, but it is known to recommend that huge numbers of deer be drawn in from a vast area of east Sutherland to the Gordonbush Estate, corralled and then slaughtered.”
The protest group claims the practice would be “unacceptably cruel” and point out that, as well as destroying the area’s “precious wildlife”, depletion of the stag population would put estate jobs at risk.
They also raise concerns about access to the site and the affect large lorries carrying giant loads would have on Golspie and Brora.
And they call on all objectors to make their views known to Scottish Natural Heritage, the Scottish SPCA and the Deer Commission for Scotland (DCS).
Bill Faassen de Heer who is a member of the protest group and Brora Community Council, and chairman of the Sutherland branch of the Scottish SPCA, yesterday said the type of slaughter proposed in the plan would cause the animals “panic, fear and terror”.
He said: “That some culling is inevitable is a reality of estate management. But it must be controlled and strictly monitored.”
Mr Faassen de Heer added that the four other nearby community councils – at Golspie, Helmsdale, Rogart and Dornoch – supported Brora Community Council in its opposition to the windfarm.
An SSE spokeswoman said DCS and SNH had been consulted on the plan. She said: “Part of the plan is that a deer cull will be taking place to improve certain habitats in the area. It will be undertaken by professionals.”
But an SNH spokesman said SNH needed to be satisfied with the HMP and had not made any formal comment yet.
And a Scottish Government spokesman said: “People who are unhappy with the way the decision was made are free to seek a Judicial Review to the Court of Session, but we’re not aware of that having happened in this case.”
4 September 2008
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