Musings from the Merse
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Rig Rigged?
The news that the Fallago Rig wind farm is likely to go ahead despite very strong local opposition and without the re-opening of a public enquiry has proved a confetti storm of letters to the Berwickshire as below:
Sir, - My anger at the abuse of the democratic process by the Scottish Government over the Fallago Rig wind farm has now turned to dismay as Scottish Borders Council are not seemingly pushing for the re-opening of the public inquiry.
Such are the changes in circumstances in the Lammermuir Hills with new wind farms now on line and new applications granted that it is a travesty that the chief executive’s office is apparently more concerned about cost than due processes of democracy.
As Returning Officer for local elections across all levels of government the chief executive, David Hume, is very well aware of the huge costs involved in elections.
Recommending against the relatively tiny costs of representation in a reopened public inquiry would be an insult to the democracy that he has a duty to protect.
CHRISTINE HAVERS,
The MOD has now apparently dropped its objection to the new set of Turbines despite previously anxious and apparently well documented claims that they could interfere with the air defence radar system; always remembering that the area is one used by low flying aircraft So what has happened to change minds amongst the Top RAF Brass? Have the developers offered some inducements and /or some Mr Big is leaning on them in the interest of increased corporate profits;
The chairman of the local community council as angry as Mrs H, has commented in another letter:
The news that the MoD is dropping its objection to the Fallago Rig wind farm development is a devastating blow to the Cranshaws, Ellemford and Longformacus Community Council.
When British soldiers and Afghani civilians are being killed on the premise of protecting national security it seems ludicrous to compromise national security at home on the basis of an unproven and untested solution to the problems of radar interference to the national air defence system.
The evidence presented by the MoD at the Inquiry in objection to the development was incontrovertible and sustained under detailed cross-examination
Mr Big? Or Duke of Big? Cherchez le Laird I hear you cry-as indeed does a third correspondent:
Duke of Roxburghe is seeking to impose a massive 144MW wind farm development of 48 125m high wind turbines on the local community at Fallago Rig in the Lammermuir Hills.
Not only would this be contrary to the views of the local community, the findings of a Public Local Inquiry, and against the views of both affected local authorities, but it has been the subject of secretive discussions between the developers, their lobbyists, the MOD and the turbine-mad Scottish Government ever since the Public Inquiry closed.
This Duke’s development would irreparably blight area of great landscape value so dramatic that it inspired Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermuir. As in the opera, there is much madness in the Lammermuirs at present.
This is fast becoming an opera indeed. Not comic but darkly tragic. Come on Mr Gilbert and Mr Sullivan we have the plot
how about the music?
Labels: Fallago Rig, Rigging Rigs, Wind Turbines
Comments:
Yesterday's published ruling by the ASA shows how honest a wind turbine company can be about the joy their kinetic sculptures will bring to the landscape.
Landowners have always been greedy and opportunistic, as Scottish history shows all too well. Also, Borders planning decisions provide abundant evidence of greed, stupidity and inability to understand/appreciate landscape. Do you know how much payment a landowner receives for a single WTI? Mega-money, I tell you.So his examltedness is just as avaricious as the smaller fry round these parts. A plague upon their houses.
Landowners have always been greedy and opportunistic, as Scottish history shows all too well. Also, Borders planning decisions provide abundant evidence of greed, stupidity and inability to understand/appreciate landscape. Do you know how much payment a landowner receives for a single WTI? Mega-money, I tell you.So his examltedness is just as avaricious as the smaller fry round these parts. A plague upon their houses.
# posted by 
: 6:55 PM
: 6:55 PM
They receive 15-20 thousand a year per turbine. The Duke stands to make 14 million. Household electricity bills are to increase suggested £250 per annum but in reality it has been calculated £400 per annum.
# posted by : 8:08 PM
: 8:08 PM
...and all because the salmon hates nuclear..
We wait with bated breath to see just how many of our brave councillors, those elected upholders of the democracy, have anything to say about all this....
We wait with bated breath to see just how many of our brave councillors, those elected upholders of the democracy, have anything to say about all this....
Now Big Jim F here is your chance for glory butI suspect your record of
unstinting unthinking support for the Lairds will once again prevail
unstinting unthinking support for the Lairds will once again prevail
I am indebted to a bloggee for this link : http://www.eon-uk.com/libraries/uk/images/Downloads%20-%20EON%20and%20you/Cash_Crop_Brochure.pdf
Cash Crop indeed. Nice work if you can get. In my next life I intend to start as a Duke and work down
Cash Crop indeed. Nice work if you can get. In my next life I intend to start as a Duke and work down
If you can't be bothered to go to the AON UK website this is the large print:
"Making a viable return from farmland
has become increasingly difficult in
recent years and many landowners
have sought to diversify into other
areas.
Leasing land for wind turbines offers
the opportunity to receive a regular
income for upto 20 years with no
labour costs or other outlay required -
E.ON UK will undertake the entire
project development.
Depending on the size of turbine and
on wind speed, landowners can earn
between £5,000 and £8,000 a year for
each turbine. This typically uses less
than one acre of land, taking into
account the space required for
foundations, cables and access roads.
We will prepare and progress the
planning application, take care of all
aspects of the development process,
from commissioning environmental
studies to liaising with the local
community - all at no cost to the
landowner".
And as far as Fallago is concerned the ante has been upped.
Saturday's Child has Fall a go! What day was His Grace born on?
"Making a viable return from farmland
has become increasingly difficult in
recent years and many landowners
have sought to diversify into other
areas.
Leasing land for wind turbines offers
the opportunity to receive a regular
income for upto 20 years with no
labour costs or other outlay required -
E.ON UK will undertake the entire
project development.
Depending on the size of turbine and
on wind speed, landowners can earn
between £5,000 and £8,000 a year for
each turbine. This typically uses less
than one acre of land, taking into
account the space required for
foundations, cables and access roads.
We will prepare and progress the
planning application, take care of all
aspects of the development process,
from commissioning environmental
studies to liaising with the local
community - all at no cost to the
landowner".
And as far as Fallago is concerned the ante has been upped.
Saturday's Child has Fall a go! What day was His Grace born on?
Yes but we're going to run out of non-CO2 producing electricity aren't we? Have you read Prof David Mackay's "Sustainable Energy without the Hot Air" ? Neither have I but am about to.
Huttonian, if you start off as a duke, then you can go no lower so your journey will not take place.
# posted by : 9:34 PM
: 9:34 PM
Energy policy is far too important to be left to the whims of multinational power companies and greedy landowners. If we had a joined-up policy folk might be a bit more supportive. The only British producer of turbine blades produced them for the AMERICAN market - how green is that? We will doubtless be getting ours from Germany or Denmark (the major Danish producer laid of over 500 workers earlier this year) or even the USA - and think how many turbines will be needed to offset that little lot. Catch 22, ennit? Perhaps if the government had understood it as an opportunity to revitalise heavy engineering traditions on Tyneside/Clydeside/Merseyside then people might have had slightly more accepting attitudes. The entire planning system is predicated on developer and not the people who have to live with the development. The cost of the next public enquiry (barristers at £300/hr) is somewhere on your recent electricity bills.
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# posted by : 6:15 AM
: 6:15 AM