Blacked-out text about windfarms
The Press and Journal, www.pressandjournal.co.uk 15 February 2011
Your story (February 11) on Highland Council censorship of internet comments relating to windfarms across the Highlands is unsettling to say the least.
Not only are references to any protected species blacked out (even on SNH’s contributions), names, addresses, signatures or a combination of some or all of these are also blacked out.
In their determination to implement Scottish Government policy to cover the country with windmills, no matter how inefficient and remote from the end user, planning officials have resorted to using the euphemism “redaction” to describe their activity.
Now, to redact is defined as “putting into literary form”, “editing” or “preparing for publication”. It does not mean suppressing information in a way which renders a document unreadable and non-attributable.
Blacked-out bodies of text have no place in any free society, and I hope members of the Highland Council will bring their officials to heel.
Even following your story, the contributions to Burn of Whilk (Yarrows) retain blacked-out sections, and the latest comment I have sent has not been displayed.
Neither have the more than 300 other comments received before the scheme was “modified” been published, seriously underplaying the strength of feeling on this particular scheme which is due for a hearing next month.
Are councillors aware of what is going on under their noses, or do they not care? With an election looming, the public might like to reflect on who actually runs the show.
Islay MacLeod,
Thrumster House,
Thrumster.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/02/15/blacked-out-text-about-windfarms/