March 28, 2013
Scotland

Opposition to poorly sited turbines

The Berwickshire News | 28 March 2013 | www.berwickshirenews.co.uk

Three times as many people in the Scottish Borders have written letters of objection to wind farms than those who have written to support the turbines.

The Borders Network, which opposes the inappropriate siting of wind turbines, has analysed 6,000 letters – going back to 2004 – and they have established how many of these originated from individuals with an address within the Borders.

Economist and statistician Ray Porter from Berwickshire commented: ‘The results from our research are an accurate reflection of informed public attitudes to wind turbines in the Borders at the beginning of 2013 from a huge sample of over 4,000 individual Borderers. We now have actual figures of levels of objection and support. The results of Scottish Borders Council’s own survey into attitudes to windfarms in the Borders carried out late in 2012, and due to be published shortly, should produce a similar result if its methodology and sampling is correct.

“All councillors should now understand that the opposition to poorly sited wind turbines is widespread – and growing. Another 500 turbines could be approved in the Borders this year alone. East Berwickshire has been hardest hit, and developers are now targeting mid-Berwickshire, the Kelso area and the Cheviot Hills. One thing is certain: as more wind turbine applications are submitted, levels of objection will continue to rise.”

Local MSP John Lamont has called on the Scottish Government to reconsider their energy policy, and listen to the voices of the many people who are objecting to wind farms: “All too often these voices have been ignored, as the SNP plough on regardless.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/03/28/opposition-to-poorly-sited-turbines/