May 12, 2012
Scotland

EFTAG to hold council to account

The Courier & Advertiser, 12 May 2012

An umbrella group which was set up in east Fife to protect homes and communities from a “tsunami” of wind turbines has promised to hold the new Fife Council administration to account.

The East Fife Turbine Awareness Group (EFTAG) – whose members include Graham Lang, who recently shared an anti-windfarm platform alongside tycoon Donald Trump at the Scottish Parliament – said that, irrespective of what party or parties formed the council, it would continue fighting against a “torrent” of speculative windfarm developments and smaller turbine proposals.

However, with it looking increasingly likely that Labour will form an administration, EFTAG would be putting particular pressure on the party’s leader Alex Rowley who, before the election, wrote to council officials proposing that no more applications be approved until a strategic framework for such developments is put in place.

Mr Rowley has stated that he 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.

Fife Conservatives have also pledged a moratorium on wind turbines in the region.

A spokesman for EFTAG said: “East Fife Turbine Awareness Group and associated groups in mid and west Fife welcome the thinking behind Labour’s manifesto comments on renewable energy and we endorse their commitment to initiate an immediate consultation with Fife communities on the future role and location of land-based wind turbines in Fife, seek a ministerial meeting to put Fife’s approach and seek agreement on a moratorium for land-based wind turbines until a strategic framework can be put in place following consultation with Fife’s communities.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/05/12/eftag-to-hold-council-to-account/