MP claims thousands protest windfarms 

Tens of thousands of people in Scotland have protested to their local council about windfarm applications in the past five years, Scotland’s only Tory MP has claimed.

However, according to figures released by Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale MP David Mundell East Ayrshire Council did not provide figures.

Since 2008 there have been a staggering 34,206 objections made to local authorities right across the country.

And that figure has been increasing steadily, with more than 14,000 complaints in 2012 alone, thousands more than in previous years.

In the last five years Dumfries and Galloway have had 1284 objections; Scottish Borders 4767 and South Lanarkshire 571.

Earlier this year the Scottish Conservatives revealed a further 10,000 people had contacted the Scottish Government directly to object to major applications only considered by Holyrood.

“That means since 2008 more than 44,000 people have formally made their concerns know about the spread of windfarms across Scotland’s countryside, a quite staggering figure,” said Mr Mundell.

Nine Scottish councils, including EAC, were unable to specify how many objections they have received, meaning the true figure is likely to be significantly higher, he added.

He said: “My own views on windfarms within my constituency is very well known – enough is enough. But despite the level of objection in communities across Scotland, the SNP has continued its obsession with turbines in a bid to meet its target of producing 100 per cent of Scotland’s electricity from renewables.

“The tens of thousands of objections right across the country show the sheer level of public alarm at the SNP’s windfarm obsession. And what’s worse, all too often these concerns are completely ignored by an SNP government intent on fulfilling their own ludicrous renewable energy goals, whatever the cost.

“People aren’t just concerned about windfarms ruining their landscape and quality of life, they don’t want Scotland’s electricity supply dependent on a source that is unreliable and intermittent.

“When a council votes against a windfarm application, usually with the backing of its planning experts and local communities, the Scottish Government should respect that.

“Instead, we see ministers in Edinburgh overturning those decisions without any regard for local feelings or the knock-on effect any windfarm may have.

“It’s time the SNP had a reality check and accepted that while people don’t mind the odd windfarm being part of the mixed energy solution, there are far better avenues to explore,” added Mr Mundell.

He also revealed that onshore windfarms in Scotland only support just over 2,000 jobs – despite SNP claims that they are a major source of employment.

Recent figures have revealed that there are currently 2,235 roles “connected directly to onshore wind”.

Yet when the Scottish Conservatives last year questioned the First Minister on his windfarm job claims, he stated initially that 18,000 were employed in renewable energy, before downgrading that to 11,000.

“On the back of these latest figures, the Scottish Government must explain why it places so much focus on windfarms when they only account for a fraction of renewables jobs,” he said.