April 28, 2012
Scotland

Golf club bunkered by turbine to call in watchdog

By Cameron Brooks, The Press and Journal, www.pressandjournal.co.uk 28 April 2012

Officials at a historic golf club are to report Aberdeen City Council to a public-service watchdog after a huge wind-turbine tower was erected next to one of the course’s signature holes.

Ronnie MacAskill, director of golf at Royal Aberdeen, said members would be lodging a complaint with the Scottish public services ombudsman because the club had not been consulted about the project.

They fear the “horrendous” structure – installed by engineering firm Rubberatkins to power its HQ at Aberdeen Science and Energy Park on the course’s western border – could affect the club’s status as one of the top 100 courses in the world.

Mr MacAskill said the club would consider taking the council to court to have the turbine removed if it was found to be in the wrong.

The local authority said it had followed advertising and notification procedures for the planning application.

A spokeswoman said: “The application was considered by elected members in an open and transparent way, taking account of appropriate material planning considerations.”

Asked if the club was considering reporting the council to the ombudsman, Mr MacAskill said: “We are indeed and that is ongoing at the moment.

“We have put in a formal complaint to the council. We are going to take the case as far as we possibly can.

“It may well be that they complied with everything they had to do but morally it just isn’t right.

“It would have taken a planner half an hour to come down here and listen to us, and any reasonable person would not have done that. We will do everything possible to have it removed.”

North East Labour MSP Lewis MacDonald said the club could have a case if the council was found to have failed to follow the correct procedures.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/04/28/golf-club-bunkered-by-turbine-to-call-in-watchdog/