Open Letter from Rory Young in today's Oban Times

[NickB]

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Rory Young has taken out a half page advertisement in today's Oban Times (p.9) to publish an 'open letter' about the windfarm, giving details of the proposed community fund and saying that a recently distributed leaflet contained inaccurate/misleading statements. At the bottom of the letter is a montage purporting to be an 'Authentic planning representation of the wind farm from Tigh-an Truish pub viewpoint next to Clachan Bridge'.

[Tony the Toad]

Regardless of what anyone might think of the proposed wind farm, PACT has been hysterical, presumptuous and untrustworthy throughout.

And who gave them permission to clutter up the island with all these protest signs?

[Jo 66]

Is anyone else on Seil sick of these yellow signs popping up by white settlers close to the bridge?? Who opposed the planning permission for their houses? Would they prefer Forestry - look at the state of that when it is cleared 30 years later, is that what they want to look out of their windows and see - no more farm, no more animals - where will the meat in Britain come from once the Forestry has bought all the land- CHINA!! The farm will go to Forestry if the wind farm doesn't go up and the wind farm could provide much needed funds for things like a PLAY PARK etc and I am getting sick of their bully tactics. Support the wind farm at yes2wind.com and click on the Clachan link, print the letter and send it freepost - come on people - it's time to fight back! Rant over!

[smallpaws]

"Jo 66"- white settlers close to the bridge

Apart from the fact that your remark sounds a bit racist to me, there are plenty of Scots down there who oppose the windfarm. Bet you wouldn't have made that remark if you'd used your own name!

Pat

[Jo 66]

"if you'd used your own name" .. Jo Campbell - a white settler!!!! OK maybe that was a bit harsh, but it is really annoying me - if the likes of my husband -a true "local" - had opposed MOST of their planning permissions - they wouldn't be here - I really am finding it truly offensive and I think there are better ways to get your point accross! And the one at the shop - don't even get me started on that one!

[NickB]

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I have received the following from a member of PACT:

We must tell you that the pamphlet referred to has nothing to do with PACT. It was issued by a community council outwith our area and did contain minor inaccuracies.

It was I who jumped to the conclusion that Mr. Young's comments referred to a PACT communication, as I was not aware of any other such leaflet on the go. I have edited my original post on this thread accordingly.

I apologise for any confusion sown as a result.

[mcvrecken]

JO66, you should be very careful about what you say. References you have made in previous posts are inappropriate and hypocritical.

Your statement that the farm will go to forestry if the windfarm does not go ahead is complete nonsense. Mr Young may have suggested that the Forestry Commission might be an interested buyer should the land ever come up for sale but there is no such plan in place to actually sell the land. If there was it is more likely that it would be purchased by someone who would continue to farm it.

I don't believe PACT are using bullying tactics. They are just promoting a cause which they and most locals feel strongly about. This is about opposing a commercial development which is totally inappropriate in an area such as ours. The costs to the landscape, environment and local business far outweigh any benefits of the small offerings which are being made by Mr Young.

Who is it that you want to "fight back" against? This is not about you and your personal battles with people you may not like. I would suggest you consider what you write carefully next time .... Jo from England!

[Herby Dice]

/Moderator hat on.

This is an extremely emotive topic and debate is likely to get heated. Can we try and keep it at least respectful? Can we also try and keep people's origins out of the argument. Anyone who lives or has a commercial interest in the area is entitled to an opinion, as I see it, whether they are 10th generation local or recent arrivals. This is the internet, I realise, but it would be good to stick to the pros and cons of the windfarm itself in this thread.

[NickB]

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Our questionnaires arrived this morning. This initiative by the Community Council gives everyone the opportunity to make their views known anonymously (unlike the Argyll and Bute Council planning site where comments are made public). I presume the CC will make the overall result public while maintaining anonymity.

In the meantime, I agree with Herby - let's keep the debate civilised. Issues like this can leave scars on small communities long after the development itself has come or gone. I for one don't want to see that happen on Seil.

[mcvrecken]

Herby, I absolutely agree with your point. This is about a community, where people come from a number of different geographic locations, opposing a commercial development which is not in their collective interests.

I was simply highlighting the hypocracy of Jo's comments. I did not mean to infer anything negative about the fact that she comes from England. There are a number of people who have moved here from England and they are valued and welcome members of this community.

[majormajor]

"Issues like this can leave scars on small communities long after the development itself has come or gone"

Fortunately, the appeal for the single wind turbine application on Easdale Island was refused by the Reporter. However, the long drawn out saga did draw up fresh battle lines on the island, which are probably still alive today. Best to keep breathing and talking to each other about the issues to avoid the quoted prognosis above.

[Jo 66]

"mcvrecken" I don't want to fight anyone, quite the reverse actually - I get on very well with most of the "yellow sign" households, in fact one of them married me and the rest of them were at my wedding! Just because I don't agree with PACT does not mean I want a personal fight and does not mean that I am not entitled to my opinion! Not once in my last post did I mention the ENGLISH! Who is being racist now??? By white settler I simply meant someone who was not born and bred on the island, but someone who has settled here, be it English, Scottish, black or white - at some point their property would have required planning permission approved by the said locals.

I hope you are right about the Forestry because I know every single cow on that farm and all their history - it was bad enough losing most of the herd when the farm split and having to pick which ones to keep - without having to lose the rest of them, but sadly I fear you are wrong because I believe Rory will sell if he can't make the land viable and I also believe the Forestry will offer the most money!

Most of the people that I have spoken to are not "against" the wind farm, but are more infuriated by the yellow signs, so again I think you are wrong about most of the island being in favour of the PACT cause - they are causing a massive split!

How does any of this make me hypocritical? Or is it that I simply haven't succumbed to the bullying!

[Jo 66]

... and one more thing - why haven't I received a questionnaire??? Very strange!

[NickB]

... and one more thing - why haven't I received a questionnaire??? Very strange!

Jo, I expect it is because you aren't in Seil and Easdale Community Council's area . . . I think you are 'represented' by Kilmelford and Kilninver community council.

[Pentlandpirate]

Who should be blamed for the yellow signs, the unsettlement in the community, the threats to house prices, the threats to a lifestyle, the threat of a forest, the threat of a windfarm? Just one man with a singular desire for profit. He is to blame for all of this: Rory Young. And the offer of a 'bribe' right at the start was a deliberate tactic to split the community, when the windfarm proposal would have been instantly rejected by the majority without it. Imagine setting out to do something that you know will pit neighbour against neighbour in a small population. It's despicable. You sometimes have to be ruthless in business to have your way but does anyone really believe this nice young gentleman really cares about the Seil Island community. If he did he wouldn't have started all this.

He knows he has to move fast. There is a threat to windfarms themselves. The Government is talking about slashing the subsidies to build them and reducing the rates that will be paid for whatever energy they produce. The science is moving faster too as it gains more knowledge from existing sites. Global warming is being proven as a myth. And people are beginning to see for themselves the proof that wind produced energy is ridiculously inefficient, flawed and expensive. It's only because the country is struggling to make ends meet that the truth is starting to come out. Don't be surprised if within less than 20 years everyone has seen what a ludicrously expensive mistake they made with onshore windfarms. But what price will have been paid? (And we're all paying for it)

Why live with a mistake for a generation? If that windfarm is built at Clachan Seil it will affect house prices for many on the island. It will affect tourism, because that little idyllic corner of Argyll will no longer be picture postcard special. The 'bribe' is a paltry amount by modern business standards and is as insulting to the inhabitants as when the white settlers in the New World gave coloured beads to the natives. If you must be bribed, make it worth being bribed and demand a price that makes it worth selling your world for. Sell out to Mr Young too cheap and you'll be the mugs, as he laughs all the way to the bank. Don't be nice and polite about it. This man wants a chunk of your life so he can make himself richer. He'll take it for free if you give it. If you have any pride in yourselves you'll tell him where to get off, and go build a windfarm next to his house on his other farm in Dumfries.

And regarding his other farm. He didn't sell that to the Forestry Commission as it is threatened in an earlier post he might do with Clachan farm. No, he chose to grow Christmas trees on his other farm. Clearly Mr Young has no concern about covering the landscape with swathes of conifers either. So much for the environmental, 'green-ness' of this man who shows no reluctance to take advantage of the environment when it can put a wad of notes in his pocket.

I hope his proposal is rejected. Seil Island IS special. If you take it for granted that's your loss, but it really isn't like so many other places. A wind farm is wholly inappropriate to the area, but standing above such a landmark as the Bridge over the Atlantic and that idyllic corner of Scotland....well if they allow that, they might as well rip up planning laws altogether and build a nuclear power station, with deep bore nuclear storage under the island itself.

For those who say wind turbines don't kill birds of prey, watch this (if you can bear to) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NAAzBAr ... re=related

[MonaLott]

Brilliant summary of the situation as I see it too, Pentland P. Just a pity you ruined it by denying global warming - makes you look like someone from the loony fringe! I suppose you're also one of these fundamentalist creationist nutters who deny evolution?!

[NickB]

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Just heard that the MOD have insisted on aircraft anti-collision beacons on top of the towers. This means that our nightime views across the bay wil be lit by ten red lamps that are either constantly illuminated or turn on and off slowly in a cycle of a few seconds. Apparently white xenon discharge flashers are being phased out, so at least we will be spared that horror. However, it does seem a shame that our wonderful 'dark skies' are going to be invaded by these lights if the turbines are built.

Re. your point about climate change Mona - one problem with anti-wind groups is that they tend to grab at any 'evidence' that they think might be useful as a weapon in their fight. Thus they become unwitting troops in the global warming denial campaign still being fought covertly by big business. I wish they would stick to the planning issues, primarily in this case landscape quality, loss of amenity and inadequate separation between turbines and houses.

I presume everyone on Seil and Easdale has had their questionnaire now?

[Pentlandpirate]

I think the evidence for global warming is far from proven. How cold was it in eastern Europe last month? Minus 30 or so?? Nutter perhaps, but, no I don't believe in the Creation!

One benefit of the night is that the dark might have hidden the turbines, but now they will have to be fitted with red flashing warning lights on top of the turbines, they will be visible day and night. This is just a further significant contamination of the environment around Seil.

Further to the post above, another reason why Mr Young has to rush this proposal through is because the Government are re-considering the permitted distance between turbines and houses. There is a possibility that if he can get the windfarm approved now, it might avoid tighter regulation that would prevent it being built once new restrictions are enforced.

[mcvrecken]

Jo 66 this issue is far bigger than either of us so lets move on.

[MonaLott]

No questionnaire yet.