Machrihanish Offshore Windfarm

[D.H]

Hi RonanH

Welcome to the forum! A brilliant first post.

George Monbiot is a very clever chap. I just wish that our elected representatives were as clever and would see the value of a Govt owned renewables company so that the potential income that can be generated from this new industry can benefit the public purse and create long term manufacturing and research & development jobs, particularly in rural areas.

Sadly, the choices made on renewables is driven by private corporations who receive public money to set up, and then they can move on to receive more public money somewhere else when the subsidy runs out, with their shareholders reaping the benefits..

[Ags]

There was a huge turnout at Machrihanish Golf Club yesterday and I have to agree with Jowett63 about the photographs on show. When I questioned a member of the team about them I was told "they didn't have time" to produce accurate backgrounds of summer skies I was also told that the best comparison to base our studies on is Scroby Sands off Great Yarmouth. With 30 turbines at 108 metres tall I really don't see what is to compare

[neilly]

Quite right Ags !

[Ship called Dignity]

I am dismayed if my posts which were intended to be informative have been construed as being onbehalf of the power companies, or turbine manufacturers. My first post began with my introducing myself, and my user name is not somthing I'm hiding behind - indeed my wife was not too happy at me using the car reg as it is her that drives the car and was worried about being caught up in any wrangles.

Thats my final comment on the forum. I am sorry it has come to this I was indeed hoping to be of help, from an insiders angle I may well have been useful.

Good luck with your campaign.

I don't think you should be put off by a couple of comments S6MMF. I have found your posts informative, well constructed and interesting. It certainly helped add to the debate.

[daisy]

Have you read this?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/g ... irc-report

How many "IFs" are there in that article? So all the countries and power companies in Europe will put aside their vested interests and somehow get together to develop a European-wide super-grid so that the UK can export loads and loads of energy and employ thousands and thousands of people in forty years time?? (Whilst destroying our coastal landscape and seas in the process.)

I read a similar article in the same paper about 20 years ago about smart road technology. It would effectively turn our motorways and major trunk roads into conveyor belts, with cars programmed to enter and exit, and travel just a few feet apart and not use any fuel when onboard. The Guradian was adament that the technology already existed. All they seemed to overlook was that it would not be in the interests of either the car companies or the oil companies, and hey presto, it hasn't happened.

Anyway, if WC1's quotes on the interraction between the natural environment and mental wellbeing hold any grain of truth (and they ring true for me), we'd all be raving looneys by then!!!

[Bonnie Lass]

Found this about the ONE turbine on Lowestoft Ness - most easterly point on East Anglia - under UK Attraction
It's name is Golaith

http://www.ukattraction.com/east-of-england/lowestoft-wind-turbine.htm

[macmach]

Personally I believe that if this project does not go ahead we may as well bury our heads in the sands at Machrihanish & let other communities reap the benifits, then once again we'll hear white elephant being chanted. It's time people started getting behind projects in this area instead of seeing negatives all the time.

bigchang. Did you go to the meetings last Thursday or Friday? Did you ask these people what the benefits would be? They categorically stated that there is no legal obligation to do anything for ANY community. So where are the potential benefits to reap for Machrihanish? Lets not think about Campbeltown but, for once, put yourselves in the shoes of the people of the village and argue where our benefits will be?

But remember years down the line when the younger generation have no job prospects, that we all had the chance to get behind this project & give everyone a decent chance.

Are you honestly saying that if this project does not go ahead we are all doomed? That this project alone will support the job prospects of our children? Political blackmail at its best!

[Ags]

Although this is an old article I found it made very interesting reading when the link was forwarded to me.

Homeowners living near windfarms see property values plummet
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthn ... ummet.html

I also agree with Ship that nobody should be put off posting their views on here. That's what public forums are for and although people know my view on the subject it doesn't mean I don't want to read other people's views and opinions. It doesn't mean I have to agree with them, or them with me!
I am just back from a few days away but as far as I know the action committee were meeting last night so hopefully Jowett63 will update us soon.
Can I just remind you all that the closing date for the Respondent Information forms is 16TH AUGUST.

[RAM]

"Live" Machrihanish "And Let Die" the windfarm...get yer T-shirts printed!!

[dalintober lad]

Promised myself I wouldn't post again,but what the hell...............

Why is it that the campaigners against the proposed wind farm have to twist and deride what others are saying?

But remember years down the line when the younger generation have no job prospects, that we all had the chance to get behind this project & give everyone a decent chance.

Are you honestly saying that if this project does not go ahead we are all doomed? That this project alone will support the job prospects of our children? Political blackmail at its best!

Did BigChang say "we are all doomed"? No he did not. Just the latest example of someone with a different view to the NO campaigners having his words twisted .



As for loss of a view? I'm more than happy with the loch,Davaar Island,and Bengullion, thank you very much.

[WC1]

When BigChang said

But remember years down the line when the younger generation have no job prospects, that we all had the chance to get behind this project & give everyone a decent chance.

he implied quite emphatically that the development of the Machrihanish Bay windfarm was the only prospect we have of ensuring future employment: "no job prospects". That's not too far away from "we are all doomed", so it's not exactly twisting what he said, just putting it in another, slightly more extreme, way.

BigChang thinks that there will be lots of jobs for locals if this goes ahead. He (or she) is wrong. From what could be gleaned from SSE's public information sessions, it appears that the bulk - if not all - of the work on construction will be supported and supplied from Belfast. After completion, maintenance staff will go out to the towers by helicopter, so they're not likely to be based here either. They clearly stated that they have no policy for providing any community benefits from offshore windfarms.

Building on our area's assets of outstanding natural beauty we could really develop tourism to the point where it provides many more long-term, sustainable jobs than it does at present, and many more than we will ever get from SSE's disastrous proposal. And we would be ensuring the survival of local shops and services in the process. On the other hand, we could just throw that away . . .

[S6MMF]

I'm back

WC1 said

BigChang thinks that there will be lots of jobs for locals if this goes ahead. He (or she) is wrong.

You are way off the mark here WC1, A site of this scale would provide many jobs, greater that you would imagine! Trust me I know what opportunities there are for a project of this scale! You only want to believe in your own beliefs because you are an objector(which is fine you are entitled to your opinion). I'm not even going to go into detail because I would be wasting my own time

WC1 said

it appears that the bulk - if not all - of the work on construction will be supported and supplied from Belfast.

PRE-ASSEMBLY (NOT CONSTRUCTION) will most likely take place in Belfast due to the nature of the work and setting down areas required! However PRE-ASSEMBLY forms only a potion of the works required for a Windfarm of this size and type. For your information incase you don't already know, PRE-ASSEMBLY means bringing the key components together to one place for preperation prior to going offshore. Belfast have a set up where this can be performed on a grand scale. The term CONSTRUCTION when broken down splits out into many many elements for a project of this scale,the HV works turbine commissioning, cable jointing, dive ops start ups then maintenance / inspections, PR operations etc etc will be run from Kintyre there is no doubt about that, unless of course we chase this all away to somewhere else

The foundations of the windfarm for Machrihanish are based on a MONOPILE/TP style, this is something that can be handled from Campbeltown with ease! My point is that we have the harbour, then sell its capabilities after all why are they re-investing on more development of the harbour! another benefit could be (and this is only an assumption ) if SKYCON were successful in being offered a tender for any of this contract proposal (which I really think they will), then they have capabilites of importing raw materials, manufacturing the monopiles, the Transition pieces (TPs) and the Turbine towers, for a project of this size that is a massive massive order, giving plenty jobs, don't ever doubt it!! (READ THE LINK) http://www.greenwisebusiness.co.uk/news ... -1095.aspx the fact is that they will be at the front door of this project, something that I'm sure Campbeltown will relish, and I don't mean that in any way disrespectful to the people/residents of Machrihanish.

WC1 said

After completion, maintenance staff will go out to the towers by helicopter, so they're not likely to be based here either.

I really really doubt if they would base them anywhere other than Machrihanish airport, the facility is already there! they will also provide vessels for transfers, helicopters can't be used at all times, the same goes for the boats.

The loosers in this are of course the residents of Machrihanish who may feel betrayed by this site, and for this reason that is why they should continue to pursue their campaign to stop it, but the claims of tourism being killed off, and the golfers being put off I'm sorry but in my opinion it will come and go for them, the golf will continue for evermore, and the little volume of tourists who come will still come.
I remember the claims when Tangy was being constructed, it was the same old same old, tourists will run a mile and Golf will be destroyed and what have we now......another golf course!! As for tourism, there is very little in the first place that will be greatly affected, and what will be affected well I doubt it will ever be noticed in Machrihanish, but again only my opinion!

Oh and finally you are right about the community fund it isn't policy, nobody ever said it was, but what is needed is political weight and community pressure to force the issue and not let them off scot free without some kind of fund..........and before all the opposers come on and missile me or accuse me of being an insider I only happen to work in the industry (NOT FOR SSE) I'm not saying lie down or bow to SSE and accept it, continue with your stop campaign if you wish but don't neglect plan B it is as important as trying to stop it, better to get something rather than nothing if it should be given the green light.....

[WC1]

The previous poster's credentials as an advocate for the windfarm industry are well established, as are mine as an opponent of these proposals. I have simply quoted from the information available at SSE's exhibition. I will concede that currently tourism is not highly developed in Kintyre, but I stick by my contention that it has enormous potential and that developing it further will create real, significant and lasting social and economic benefits both in terms of jobs for local people and of enabling local shops and services to survive. An influx of construction workers for the relatively short time they will temporarily be required can't offer more than short-term boom followed by long-term blight.

[Mary G]

I really really doubt if they would base them anywhere other than Machrihanish airport, the facility is already there! they will also provide vessels for transfers, helicopters can't be used at all times, the same goes for the boats.

in relation to maintenance.

I would be interested to hear from S6MMF, given his evident insights, whether he thinks the comparable maintenance set-ups for Tiree and Islay (should they also go ahead), would be based in these two communities. Both have suitable airports for helicopters ... and will be looking for local jobs too. Or whether he thinks they too would be based at Machrihanish, bringing potentially more jobs to Kintyre. But if centralisation is an option at all, then surely Belfast will want to 'bid' for this work too?

The potential - or not - for local jobs is crucial in my opinion. I am not saying that I am in favour or against depending on local jobs. But for anyone to make up their mind one way or another, this information is vital, I think. And I believe there would be total opposition if every associated job is based in Belfast. Already they seem to have already laid claim to the significant work on 'set-down'. And I am guessing that this would relate to Islay and Tiree too. So the most likely outcome in my opinion would be for the centralisation of all this work in Northern Ireland. How was the decision made that set-down would be based there? How will decisions be made about where to base maintenance work and helicopters?

[mrsbagpuss]

The issue of tourism in Kintyre seems prevalent in this topic of discussion, and while I can see that Machrihanish views will not be so panaramic as a result of the proposed windfarm, I can not see why tourism to the entire peninsula of Kintyre seems to be getting written off? There are many lovely touristy things in existance - the drive around the Carradle route via Saddel, the ferry to Arran, Islay, etc Waverly trips, numerous walks, Davvarr Island, bike tracks, beaches..... there is indeed enormous potential in Kintyre to develop tourism, and I think this can/could still be achieved regardless of the windfarm at Machrihanish, I agree with BigChang that people will still come.....

(also just a wee thought I had about the "short term boom" WC1 refered to in the case of construction workers influx to the area (how long? 2years?) this would undoubtedly bring big business to local hoteliers, bars, etc and although is not forever, it could be a great opportunity to some businesses who are struggling to reap some profit and alow for them to reinvest and make their premisis, businesses etc more attractive to potential tourists ( - dont want to sound like im being cheeky to ANY hotel or similar establishment, I'm trying to find the right words to explaine what I mean with out sounding cheeky, so PLEASE dont take it the wrong way! You are all doing a great job!)

Ok so shoot me down in flames now........