Benefits of windfarms
Posted: Monday, 14 May 2007 |
Comments
You are absolutely correct as a buyer I am evidence of this. I am currently looking for a house on Lewis and yes the wind farm plans are playing on my mind. I've already discounted a few due to their close proximity to a proposed wind farm. It seems such a shame that so many houses are being ignored by people like me, with cold hard cash to spend all because of a so called 'positive development' for the isles. If England can get their proposed wind farms sited off shore, why it doesn't happen up here is beyond me? I would say Lewis should be protected from such massive developments due to it's natural beauty alone. Off shore development of wind and wave power are much more appropriate in my view.
Sue from Edinburgh
Last night SSE presented their plans to plaster South Lochs with wind turbines. Bearing in mind that there has been much said about crofters getting a hand out when turbines are planted; we asked a rep from SSE if they would compensate home owners (namely me) for loss of value of property. No was the answer. This clever chap then went on to say why should they and then burbled on about ripping out car parks and how they don't compensate for that. I must say he was quite brave to stand there and risk getting his head ripped off but he genuinely couldn't undersatnd why we were getting upset. Anyway we suggested that he might want to look into the issue as we intended to make life very difficult for SSE if they intended to continue with the Pairc windfarm. I would encourage people to come and have a look at where they propose to put these things. This is not an area of 'boring peatland'. It is also not uninhabited. There is spectacular scenery loads of important wildlife and homes to many people who are not crofters. Incidently the residents of Gravir have just voted against the interconnector going through their back yard. So where does that leave SSE.
Helen Blake from Lemreway
I go along with Sue. We are planning to sell our house in England in three years time and move to Lewis but our plans are now restricted because of the possibilities that any house we buy might have views of these monstrosities. We are coming to Lewis for the natural beauty not for an industrial landscape. Like Sue we will have cold, hard, cash (not a lot of it) but we would rather spend it in Harris or Scalpay or the Uists if there is a chance that there will be wind turbines erected near any house we might buy in Lewis. Also, what happens to house prices away from the development? This will probably mean that desirability - and therefore prices - will plummet in Westside and Ness and there will then be more buyers than houses in other areas. The prices in Back and Point may well increase dramatically which might be good for those wanting to sell but what about the young people of Lewis who then can never afford to buy? They might as well leave the island and then far from improving the economy the windfarms will have added to the slow demise of these beautiful islands. The windfarms are an unmitigated disaster all round and I sincerely hope that those making the final decisions have more insight than the fools who have passed the plans so far.
Les Ellingham from Stafford
Les (and others), Do not forget about the windfarms in Park and Eishken. These carry similar monstrosities, if brought to fruition, and can be viewed from miles away. Point will have an unimpeded view, as will certain parts of Harris and the Uists. On a political note: if the Greens join a new Executive, to save Alex Salmond's blushes, we're more than likely to see these planning applications approved.
Arnish Lighthouse from Stornoway
Helen is married to the LibDem candidate who (unsuccessfully) fought the Pairc Ward on an anti-windfarm ticket, so she has an interest that should be declared RICS statistics show that house prices in the neighbourhood of windfarm developments drop immediately after the development is approved, and then return to the average. Lets get rid of the incoming retirees and encourage local families to buy the newely cheap houses.
Marag from Stornoway
I don't think people realise just how far we can see from point, we can see most of what goes on due to being higher up, take for example the 3 that are up now, we get to see the whole of them from top to bottom but i notice the closer you get to town the more they are hidden from view, why do people get the impression that we will have a priveliged position away from the sight of these ugly things. As for Alex Sammond helping us out.....i saw a parliament session on t.v last year where the SNP member from here stood up to protest the aplication and was basicly laughed at and told to sit down being told to make his mind up as they are all for windfarms in other parts of the country so what was the problem with one here? They are not going to save us from anything.
tanith from point
I always suspected that racists were of a lower intelligence than most people, and the comments from Marag prove the point. "Lets get rid of the incoming retirees and encourage local families to buy the newely cheap homes." Nasty incomers, don't want them; only local people. Is that the Comhairle strategy - because the opposite holds true. We bought our house on Lewis from a family with two young children moving to the mainland because they didn't want to bring up a family in an industrial building site. From talking to neighbours (all of whom have been unfailingly polite and hospitable to us incomers - so obviously non are Marag), this is more of a trend than a one-off. Give it 20 years, and the Outer Hebrides will be one large retirement community, living under the swish of an blanket windfarm development. Good job my hearing is only 40 percent of what it was, so I won't hear the things. Marag: when you are old, will you give up your house and leave the islands so a "local family" can take your place?
Incomer and proud of it from Lewis
hmmm.... right so as an incomer with a young family, and a trade that services the local community, would I also not be welcome in Marag's books, because she would rather some locals got their hands on the underpriced housing due to the windmills. How about not have the windmills and not have the devaluation of housing. Better still why not encourage folk to free up all the vacant housing within the pairc area and lets get more people living here and regenerate the community through population density, not by driving folk away, and enforcing poverty and unhappy living circumstances, for those who can't or wont leave.
Mark from Gravir
What would surprise you, Incomer and Mark, is who Marag actually is. (Hint: controversial ex-councillor).
Kenny from Turbinia, isle of Lewis
My wife and I are about to move to Stornoway to work and start a family. However, when we saw the wind farm, we pulled out of buying a house because it would be 600 feet from the nearest pylon. We will be looking for a home far, far from this aweful potential eye sore / health hazard. Oh and to people like Marag: Tough if you don't like it.
Mark from Oxfordshire
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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