Public Enquiry
Posted: Monday, 11 December 2006 |
Comments
I haven't met anyone who is in favour of the windfarms ( except the local councillors of course, which is rather strange, don't you think? ) There was a poll that was roughly 50-50, and again I do not know of, or heard of anyone who was questioned in the poll, strange things going on.
thewhitesettler from the croft lewis
Yes, it's amazing, isn't it? The CAA and NATS raise objections, but rest assured the developers will come up with a miracle solution: they always do. AMEC and BMP do the same. Walkers' safety, storm damage, swans, eagles, water-course pollution, all problems are dealt with in a trice in their technical summaries, to which they have to add addenda regularly...very regularly. In fact they have had to add so many addenda to their original applications that it makes me wonder just how naive they thought the people of Lewis & Harris were...
Colin Oscapaidh from Isle of Lewis
I don't think they believed us to be naive ... It's just that the Comhairle are our representatives in most matters ... We allow them to speak for us, don't we ... and the fact is that for reasons which are unknown, the CnES is completely *for* the windfarms ... This is very handy when it comes to rushing something unpopular in, doesn't it ... And who of our population cares that the Council view is diametrically opposed to that of the majority of people ...? Well a few of us have lobbied till we're blue in the face, but are unable to change it alone ... The rest, sadly, really don;t have a view on it, and are content to listen just to their peers opinions rather than to look into it themselves ... The number of people who opine gladly that "Yes, the windfarms are a great thing, and they'll bring *so* much employment to the islands, and that's a good thing isn't it ...", is growing ... But when you question them, it becomes clear they don't have facts to back this up ... They just *believe* it, because they've been told it ... I think it's a miracle we've even actually managed to get to the stage of a Public Inquiry, considering how many privates agendas there are in this matter ...
soaplady in breasclete from late-night catching-up ...
The NATS objection relates to the radar line of sight over the Atlantic and is nothing to do with Stornoway Airport. Considering the proximity of another planning application as part of a Public Local Inquiry would actually be illegal, so it forms no part of the PLI. Turbines are less noisy than the wind. Output of 30% of capacity is the standard. Do you drive your car at 100mph through town, or at below 30% of capacity? That you achieve less in England is hardly a surprise, but madness to extrapolate that finding to Lewis. If global warming continues, then the moor will be gone, as will a lot of villages and machair. But at least the birds will be OK. As seagulls, mink and cars will kill more birds than the windfarm I look forward to the RSPB campiainging on THOSE issues.
Marag from Stornoway
*Quote: "Turbines are less noisy than the wind. Output of 30% of capacity is the standard."* Marag, that's a ludicrous sentence followed by a statement which is simply untrue. I'm still waiting for Amec, the council or the WHFP to tell us plebs exactly how an industrial turbine arrangement of any size in these islands or anywhere else will make one jot of difference to global sea level rise. I think I may be in for a long wait...
Colin Oscapaidh from Lewis
Marag, The implications of the PLI on the Pentland Road scheme will certainly have an impact in terms of legal precedent. I don't agree with the reasoning behind the remainder of your comment, sorry.
Arnish Lighthouse from Stornoway
Re :Do you drive your car at 100mph through town, or at below 30% of capacity? You cant have it both ways - every time we read about a wind farm development claims are always made using the maximum plate output - which is like claiming you can always do:a hundred miles an hour through town. Transmission losses and periods of too much wind are likly to reduce the output from Lewis.
Greg from Glasgow
Arnish: legally qualified are you? Precedent depends on the point at issue. Do you have any idea what that actually is? Turbines are designed to work in 1st gear or 5th; like your car they don't work in 5th all the time. Do the gas or nuclear power stations work at 100% capacity all the time? No they don't. No challenge on the kill rates from cars and gulls ....
Marag from Stornoway
I agree these objects should never be erected on such a wonderful Island, that has been left alone for thousands of years, with so much history. I have bought a house on the Island this year with my family to enjoy our new life moving in 2007, Currently I live on the kent East kent coast, and we went through the same consulting period, including false promises, these things got installed to the Sea off the coast line..........and what a site !!! they can been seen from Margate until Whistable some 18 miles away. Most of the comments are correct these thing switch off in adverse weather, so whats the Point?
Fred from margate, Kent
Hi Fred - remember to start blogging with us when you arrive!
Anne from IBHQ
To complete the challenge to Marag's misconceptions - gulls rate as part of the natural predatory environment, even if we humans fatten them up through our cast-offs from takeaways (yep, we have them in Stornoway). Kill-rates of birds by cars? Is substantial, but the problem with windturbines is with raptors (eagles), who do not normally fly at roadlevel. Like you say in your own reposte, please compare like with like.
Arnish Lighthouse from Stornoway
Eagles always fly at a mile up in the sky, y'know, AL. A councillor actually said so in the 'Stornoway Gazette', therefore it must be true.
Colin Oscapaidh from Lewis
I have been in Lewis since late 2004 and am observing life on this fascinating island from an outsider's perspective. I look out at the lighthouse every day - as it looks out over the island and the sea. 
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