LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME


[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]

Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

Get weekly updates
RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Stripe

Donate via Paypal

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Schoolboy wages war on wind farms 

A fifteen-year-old fighting to save his community says energy giants could kill the countryside.

Schoolboy Stewart Calderwood has led a four-year battle to stop wind farms sprouting up on the hills around Dalmellington.

A proposed outdoor activity centre at Craigengillan Estate hangs in the balance and won’t go ahead if turbines are erected.

But Stewart and a team of local youngsters have hit the streets to gather thousands of signatures in protest against the wind farm schemes.

And the Bellsbank kid reckons it’s time politicians started listening to the young and took notice of the huge backlash coming their way.

Stewart revealed: “I’ve been collecting signatures for more than three years now and am determined to get the message across.

“The number of objections to these wind farms should make it a fairly easy decision for the politicians as far as I’m concerned.

“If these plans go ahead I’ll be absolutely gutted and so will the people down here. It’s not that we’re against wind turbines, it’s just that the location is all wrong.”

Energy giants AMEC and Scottish Power have applied for permission to build two wind farms on the border of Dalmellington.

A public enquiry is ongoing into the biggest of the two applications at Kyle Forrest after East Ayrshire Council lodged a formal objection with the Scottish Executive, who will make a final decision.

The second application by Scottish Power for 26 turbines at Dersalloch, between Straiton and Dalmellington, went before South Ayrshire Council last month.

However, councillors ignored a recommendation from their own officials to lodge a formal objection and gave it their stamp of approval.

Stewart, who has spoken out against the plans at the public enquiry, pointed out: “I was happy to stand up and speak at the enquiry and put my point across.

“I just hope that what I said had some sort of impact.”

And he’s outraged at suggestions made at a South Ayrshire planning meeting that young people were PAID to campaign against the turbines.

Stewart hit out: “That’s just ridiculous and he clearly didn’t think before he said that because it’s totally untrue.

“Myself and Steven Kelly, the other main guy involved in the campaign, have been out on the streets in all weathers during the winter collecting these signatures.

“We’re doing it because we care about the future of this place and to be accused of getting paid for it is just insulting.”

Craigengillan chief Mark Gibson slammed the council for paying no attention to the objections and treating the youngsters with contempt.

He admitted: “They’ve shown a terrible attitude and these comments about Stewart and the others being paid are downright disgusting.

“They did it for themselves and the village and the whole place is proud of them for such a tremendous effort.

“Stewart is a great example of how the youth in this area can be encouraged to thrive and we can have such a bright future.

“His effort and that of others needs to be recognised.”

By Stuart Wilson

ayrshirepost

9 May 2007

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Contributions
   Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)
Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI M TG TS G Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook Wind Watch on Linked In

Wind Watch on Mastodon Wind Watch on Truth Social

Wind Watch on Gab Wind Watch on Bluesky