TractionKiting.co.uk

Very much mixed reaction to the proposal, below is a letter written to the Scotsman, I thought some of the regular Tiree visitors may be interested to read it and follow the discussions



Wind-farm battle

Change comes to us all. Tiree is facing unprecedented change and should the massive proposed wind farm be built just off our shores we (your report, 5 July), our children and our grandchildren will have to live with the consequences.

We called a public meeting last month to give our community the chance to hear just how big the impacts might be.

The key to our future came when one resident asked the developers if local objection could stop the project going ahead. We were told
that, no, it probably couldn't. For us this makes it clear: our job now is to fight for the best interests of the current and future community of Tiree.

We have to ensure that, if the development does go ahead, Tiree benefits as much as possible from it, while also minimising the negative impacts.

A local crofter pointed out at the meeting that the communities of Shetland did not set their faces against the inevitable construction of oil terminals at Sullom Voe; rather, they purposefully and deliberately entered into negotiations with the developers to ensure that community interests were met. They drove a hard bargain and, as a consequence, have done well. We intend to do the same.

We understand that holiday-makers will be aghast at the proposed scale of the development. We are, too. We also know that many holidaymakers come here year after year because they love the community of Tiree as much as the physical and natural environment. We ask that they now support us.

For us now, the fact that this is going to be a wind farm is almost irrelevant. For us what matters is that it is going to be very big and reach every part of what we do and who we are. This could be good: new jobs, housing, better roads and harbours, more young people staying on the island, more islanders returning, more choices.

It could also be bad: noise, pollution, crime, disturbance, visual impacts, loss of biodiversity and a loss of the Tiree way of doing things, including our thriving crofting, fishing and tourism sectors.

It seems from the response to your article that many people are worried on our behalf, and we thank them for that.

The best way for people to help us is to get behind us. Go to our website (tireetrust.org.uk) for general information and feel free to contact us with messages of support.

We now have to get through several years of hard bargaining with the developers and the Scottish Government, and knowing that lots of ordinary people, people just like us, are supporting us will help enormously.

LLOYD GUDGEON TIREE COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT TRUST
Tiree, Inner Hebrides

Build it. I have no time for NIMBY's. If you want your ipods tv's microwaves, lights for you houses and farms you have to have some form of power. If however you want to live two centuries back then no you don't need them.

Now I currently live in a city (not my choice) but I have lived in a number of very beautiful places as well (Suffolk).

Suffolk has two rather beautiful nuclear power stations last time i lived there that keep the water warm just offshore due to the cooling water outflow. Excellent for swimming.

So it boils down to this people.

Do you want to live as a victorian (remember no kiting then did not have the power or technology to build the light weight materials we use)

Or do you want elegant offshore wind farms ( dam there not going to even be on the island) to allow us to continue to enjoy the lifestyle we all lead.

Little bug bare of mine this,hence the strong feeling when it comes to power.

You will also unfortunately find it difficult to get as much as the Shetland islands did since wind farms don't need a massive refinery, don't pollute the environment with that black sticky stuff and need little maintenance and so a very small work force to keep them going.

Also you could always have the nuclear power stations like Suffolk far less intrusive and you get warm water to swim in.

Interesting points. Perhaps you should post them on their web site. As I said at the moment the island seems divided on the subject. I'm sure we will hear more about it when we are over.

Just a wee point Alan. I didn't write the letter it's copied from the Scotsman

i know that J

I have few things that wild me but Nimby's are one of them.

Please please let there be a patition to sign

Just for you Alan


The Tiree turbine


This image is hidden for guests. Please login or register to see it.

Judith wrote:
Just for you Alan


The Tiree turbine


This image is hidden for guests. Please login or register to see it.

That is lovely i love them :)

Aye there's quite a few small turbines on Tiree already. The propsed offshore development must be HUGE for anyone to be worried about it ??

I can't stand nimby's either. Love wind turbines though

I dont mind the turbines its more the impact that they actually have on the surrounding land when getting built and there is still huge questions over whether a single turbine i.e. Tiree, will actually pay for itself over its life span of about 20years.

There are a couple of small turbines on Tiree but they really are small and you dont notice them unless you are at the house / community hall where its installed. The one at Gott you can see from Coll! Im not overly keen on it but hey what can you do.

The farm they are planning offshore near Tiree is going to be huge and some of the turbines are actually going to be higher than Skerryvore Lighthouse, there would also be a no-go area around the farm where fishing boats would not be allowed near which isnt going to help the locals much.

I know we need renewable energy and places like Tiree are ideal for wind farms but just sometimes I think the decision to build them is made by people who really dont give a toss about the locals or the enviroment they are drastically changing.

I will be watching the progress of this one closesly.

O.

I don't know where to start with this one so I'm just going to write and see where it takes me.

To me, wind turbines seem like the best possible way for Scotland to 'go green'. For them to be financially viable though they need to be big (at the moment). The technology isn't efficient enough yet to make a turbine cheaply that will pay for itself in under five years. For them to make money they need to be mass produced. I live within about 15 miles of two wind farms, including one of the largest in europe.

Offshore windfarms however are a different story altogether. The scale of the proposed farms that I knew about was two maybe three hundred turbines per site (at least). Now, depending on how far out they are I suspect that the combined drone from three hundred wind driven generators would equal that of a small army and as such agree that they are a bad idea for the island.

I also agree that they could affect fishing zones if an exclusion is set up around them, again this would be bad for the island.

If it's managed well though the Island could seek to benefit - if they play a hard bargain.

These companies generally don't give a toss because their throwing large amounts of money (read "the governments money") into renewable energy sources. As such they would probably be willing to offer financial incentives and or community development schemes to benefit the island to balance out the perceived disadvantages of the farms.

If the project goes ahead I also reckon that there could be scope for increased business on the island with workers etc etc (however I'm expecting this would be unwanted given my experience of past problems with the shop running dry on occasion...).

The thing that completely confuses me though is this... The sea around Scotland is effing HUGE! Why the bloody hell do they need ANY farms within five miles of the coast at all. Why not stick the farm 7 miles to the south of Tiree, far enough away that they'll be a pinprick on the horizon and shouldn't really affect the lives of people on the island that much (apart from the possible fishing boat restrictions that is).....

I'd like to see the farms go ahead from a Scottish eco stand point but I don't want to see them having a bad effect on peoples lives. I doubt they will harm the environment or wildlife in any way as they are passive, I.E have no by products and don't do anything to change the habitat around them.

Will be keen to see where this one ends up though!