Windfarm plans ignore residents
The Herald, www.heraldscotland.com 23 March 2011
Your article “Residents plan legal action in fight over wind farm” (March 17), referred to the Neilston Community Wind-farm in neighbouring Uplawmoor, recently granted planning permission by East Renfrewshire Council.
A council spokesman is quoted as stating an environmental impact assessment was not needed because the council had decided the development “did not result in any significant environmental effects”.
The visual impact of such developments appears to count for little in the assessment of the suitability of the location, and there seems to have been scant regard for the people who live in this area and value its scenic quality. Irrespective of any effect on wildlife in the area, the impact of a quartet of 360ft high turbines will be dramatic and a great detriment to the visual value of the location which currently enjoys almost uninterrupted views south to the Ayrshire coast and north toBen Lomond.
An application for a further 39 giant turbines has been submitted for this relatively small area. When in due course these come to be reviewed by the Scottish Ministers, will the area be considered as already degraded by the Neilston wind farm?
The cumulative effect of such developments needs to be assessed when the first is considered, otherwise our countryside will continue to be blighted by incremental degradation.
John West,
Birchwood Road, Uplawmoor.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/03/24/windfarm-plans-ignore-residents/