Tomorrow, (Tuesday) Highland Council’s South Planning Applications Committee will be meeting to determine a planning application from Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE) for 83 wind turbines 135m (that’s 443 feet – about a hundred feet higher than the White Cliffs of Dover) tall with over 50 miles of access roads.

This wind power station will be about 6 miles long and about 3 miles wide, slap in the middle of the Monadhliath Mountains. This is an area of land that has an achingly beautiful, wild quality. The turbines are to be built at between 2,100 and 2,600 feet above sea level.

You can find out more by clicking HERE

This morning, Highland Council voted by nine votes to seven to carry out a site visit. Interestingly about half the councillors did not want to go on the site visit because “it was too remote.” I think that this demonstrates quite well why this area should be saved – it’s wild land a long way from anywhere! It’s impossible to get the feel and sense of an area without a visit. At least some of the councillors understand what it’s all about!

Again, Councillor Kerr, a paragon of common sense, said that it would be doing the public a disservice if there was no site visit and the proposal would not be properly assessed. Well said that man!

The decision this morning is likely to cause months of delay, because, as one councillor pointed out, access to the development could be hampered by bad weather well into spring, saying that there is often snow in June.

No date has yet been set for the site visit.

My thoughts are not so optimistic - an area of wild land is often seen as having 'nothing there' and so the visit could well turn out to be in favour of siting the wind turbines in this 'empty' place!

How I wish more effort, enthusiasm and money was put into educating us all (the users of electricity) to think about our patterns of energy consumption in an attempt to go some way to 'saving the planet' by changing our behaviour.

It worries me too, that because something dreadful is in a remote place it won't bother or offend anyone. That's the only issue they'll be looking at.

Me too. Louise and Laura make pragmatic points.

It's only within the last 150 years that there's been any understanding of wild land as a part of our heritage. And even this got off to a bad start, with the Victorians' romance of The Awful Sublime - Robert MacFarlane has much to say on this.

The vast majority within the British Isles live within urban environments. And, frankly, they simply do not care. And they are the voters. I would imagine that certain councillors, dragged against their will up the access scar that leads from Glen Doll into the interior, will simply shudder and wish to be back home as soon as possible.

We must all support the case against this monstrosity, by direct action if necessary. The time for politeness is long past.

Time for the masses to arise, and say enough.

Living in Australia, I know exactly what you're talking about Laura. :)

I think they called this whole place 'Terra Nullius' - vacant land that nobody owned. Apparently the local Aborigines who have lived here for thousands of years were but a figment of their imaginations.

Hopefully you lot can rub their noses in the dirt (peat) so they get a feel for what's actually there and we can move society forward from the 1800's.

Someone should volunteer Chris Townsend to give them a proper tour of the area so at least they will understand what they are going to wreck..

Mike

Today, the Highland Council planning sub committee approved the building of Stronelairg Windfarm, slap bang in the centre of the Monadh Liath.

By eleven votes to three.

It will now go to the Scottish Government for final sign-off.

See "Re: Those not-so-green wind farms"

Is this the time to release "The Cameron Mac"

If he has the ear of Wee Alex then this is the time for him to bite.

Or is this a political plot of the said Wee Alex to become popular and reject the march of the Wind Brigade thereby becoming an electable leader of an independant Scotia.

Hi Sandy
:-)

I would suggest that to get your way with Wee 'Eck it's not his ears you should be biting...

Politicians only react when you have them by the balls.

It's always amazed me that there isn't more sabotage on the construction sites of this kind of installation.

Another sad day for the Monadhliath and Scotland's Wild Land.
But not unexpected considering the powers that be.

From a quick reading of this http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news/the-wind-compromise/008665/ I guess that even Cameron is admitting the tide is running against us. Maybe some one should do a poll asking those in favour of wind farms if they would accept one placed within 100 meters of their house, I wonder what the acceptance figures would be then?