December 14, 2011
Scotland

Call for halt to turbine plan bids; Senior councillor says Fife has to take a more considered approach to wind turbines

The Courier, www.thecourier.co.uk 14 December 2011

Fife’s main opposition leader has called for a moratorium on wind turbines following concerns about the number in the pipeline.

Labour leader Councillor Alex Rowley has written to council officials proposing that no more applications be approved until a strategic framework for such developments is put in place.

Mr Rowley believes the time has come for a “community led” discussion on the issue, and hopes the council will be able to conduct a full examination of appropriate locations for wind turbines going forward.

“I am worried that we seem to be operating on a first come first approved basis with little thought to what is acceptable for local communities,” he said.

“In my own home village we are surrounded by proposals and applications to erect these large structures and I think we have to stop and think about whether or not we want to be surrounded by such large industrial structures or if there is a better way.

“I am not against such industrial structures for the sake of it and I accept that we will have such structures to achieve a mixed approach to sourcing energy but we seem to be verging on the ad hoc approach with little regard for people and communities.”

Mr Rowley has now written to the council’s head of development services and the head of planning asking for a meeting to discuss these issues and his proposal for a moratorium on all current and future applications.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/12/14/call-for-halt-to-turbine-plan-bids/