November 3, 2011
Scotland

RSPB Scotland supports Trump in objecting to offshore windfarm

By Ryan Crighton, The Press and Journal, www.pressandjournal.co.uk 2 November 2011

Conservation charity RSPB Scotland has joined Donald Trump in objecting to plans for an offshore windfarm near Aberdeen.

A planning application for an 11-turbine development off Aberdeen Bay was submitted to Marine Scotland in August – prompting an angry response from the American billionaire, whose £750million golf resort is being built nearby.

The European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre is a £150million joint venture by utility company Vattenfall, engineering firm Technip and Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group.

The structures would be up to 640ft tall – twice the height of Big Ben.

Mr Trump has told First Minister Alex Salmond the turbines are “disastrous and environmentally irresponsible”, and left an “ugly cloud hanging over the future of the great Scottish coastline”.

Last night it emerged that Mr Trump had an unlikely ally in the RSPB, which is joining the campaign against the project over fears it could harm rare birds.

The area is currently home to seabirds, as well as waterfowl, and notably rarer species such as common scoter and red- throated diver.

RSPB Scotland area manager for north-east Scotland Ian Francis said: “From an early stage, we have held many discussions with the developers, and we acknowledge the efforts they have made to reduce its scale and change the layout of the turbines, which has helped.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/11/03/rspb-scotland-supports-trump-in-objecting-to-offshore-windfarm/