November 9, 2007
Scotland
Scotland
Just one year after a drawn-out battle over a Perthshire windfarm came to an end, wounds may be healing, but tension is still just below the surface.
BBC presenter Nancy Nicolson visited the communities surrounding the Drumderg Hill windfarm near Alyth for her weekly 30 minute radio programme Grassroots.
She interviewed key players involved in the four-year-long wrangle in order to judge how communities heal after such a bitter debate.
On September 26 last year the Scottish Executive’s public inquiry ruled in favour of the developer Scottish and Southern Energy. Construction is currently underway building the foundations for 16 turbines.
She visited Alyth to see construction vehicles passing through on their way to Drumderg, went to the foot of the hill to see for herself how the landscape is changing, and made the journey between Bridge of Cally and Drumderg to glimpse the view shortly to be interrupted by the windfarm.
Presenter Nancy Nicolson said, “We faced tremendous caution from some people, fearful reluctance from others, and outright anger from a few. This was always going to be a sensitive story to tell, but we felt the experiences of people involved are relevant to communities confronting this kind of change throughout Scotland. That kind of passion makes compelling radio programmes.”
Nancy interviews Jim Adam, chairman of Alyth Community Council; Sylvia Thorne, co-ordinator of the Not On Drumderg campaign group; Paul Ramsay, of Alyth Voice newsletter; landowner Henry Church; and others.
The feature will be broadcast in Grassroots, BBC Radio Scotland, at 6.30am on Saturday (November 10), and 5.30pm on Sunday (November 11).
8 November 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/11/09/still-tension-over-drumderg/