October 6, 2023
Scotland

Storm of protest over Kirkcudbrightshire windfarm plans

By Stephen Norris | 6 OCT 2023 | dailyrecord.co.uk

A revolution appears to be brewing over an industrial wind energy scheme earmarked for Kirkcudbrightshire.

Developers RES are looking at building up to 22, 800-foot high turbines in Minnigaff parish towards the Galloway Hills.

And plans at an exhibition in Newton Stewart on Tuesday revealed the closest tower would stand just two miles north of the town.

Company representatives fielded questions in the hall from hundreds of attendees at the five-hour McMillan Hall session.

A Cree Valley Community Council survey being taken on the day showed all but a handful of almost 300 respondents were opposed.

Asked by the Galloway News to comment on the feedback, RES communications officer Callum Whiteford refused.

“Email is our preference,” he said.

None of the people present spoke in favour of the scheme.

Penninghame man Andrew Dunse, 36, said: “It’s a lot of dung – where it is and the scale of it.

“I’m not generally against renewables but this is one of our most important areas historically.

“They say they bring jobs but they are short term.

“And how many tourism jobs would we lose in the long run?”

Douglas Ewart High School student Abbie Gurling, 17, also condemned the turbine plan.

She said: “I think it’s quite upsetting and I’m so angry about it.

“People come here for the views, to walk and explore nature.

“Now they’re talking about putting these great bits of metal in the ground stretching up to the sky.

“It’s going to take away from the beauty of the area.

“It will hurt tourism which fills the town with buzz and helps keep the local economy going.”

Karen Hyslop, from Newton Stewart, said: “They would be using thousands and thousands of tonnes of concrete to fill in huge holes for the turbine bases.

“What happens to the peat and the mosses, to nature and wildlife – there’s grouse there which is a red list species.

“Then there’s Garlies Castle and all the archaeological sites – I had not realised how many of them there were.”

Retired local postie Wullie McKie, 66, was also critical.

He said: “It doesn’t matter which way you look towards Newton Stewart – it’s visible.

“The only thing going for the town is the Galloway Hills which is the main selling point for the area.

“Once that’s away what happens to Newton Stewart?

“There’s standing stones and cairns up there – at these special places you don’t want to be standing below huge wind turbines.”

He added: “This would never happen in the Lake District.

“They want this area to be a national park yet this would destroy it.

“This is far more important than flashing cash at everybody.

“Where are these companies from? Not Scotland.”

David McCreadie, who runs popular photographic Facebook Page Dabhand’s blog, added: “It’s going to be devastating for this part of Galloway.

“People who have come here for years to visit these places, walkers who have gone up into the hills to spread their ashes, then come back and see this?

“They will never return.”

RES was also criticised by failing to turn up at their own presentation to CVCC the previous night.

Three different sources spoken to by the News at Tuesday’s event said the company cited public safety fears.

One said: “I asked one of the reps, why did you not turn up at the community council last night?

“Her response was our intel told us that we would have difficulty getting into the building because of protesters and our lives could be at risk and we need to keep employees safe.”

Pressed for a response, Mr Whiteford declined to comment and suggested enquiries should be made by email.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2023/10/06/storm-of-protest-over-kirkcudbrightshire-windfarm-plans/