A serious conflict of interest in some community councils over turbines
The Courier | www.thecourier.co.uk 28 June 2012
The Courier | www.thecourier.co.uk 28 June 2012
Your paper, amongst others, has recently exposed the considerable division which is being created in our communities between those who seek to protect our rural landscape and those who seek financial gain for the community from turbines which blight that landscape.
This is all clearly driven by what many MPs are now accepting what some others of us had already called a government bribe – the creaming off of green subsidies to persuade communities to not oppose turbines.
A serious conflict has arisen in some community councils. The community council is elected to ascertain and stand by the view of the community as a whole: that is often to protect landscape and amenity and to oppose turbines.
Yet some community councillors are also trustees of so called community development trusts – whose charter is to seek out funds, effectively from turbine subsidies. They will be expected to be very proactive in that.
Is it not time for the council and indeed for MSPs to see that individuals should not be permitted to wear both of those hats?
It is against common sense. Indeed, the very concept of CDTs, funded by windfarms, undermines the role of unfunded elected community councils.
What was the government thinking?
Mike Scott-Hayward.
Chairman,
UK Independence Party Scotland.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/06/28/a-serious-conflict-of-interest-in-some-community-councils-over-turbines/