Machrihanish Offshore Windfarm

[Govangirl]

Again I say, what jobs??????????????
This is Folk Week in Broadstairs this week, one of the busiest events in the town’s calendar. Each day I’ve been there, visitors are talking about how the seascape has been blighted with hundreds of these ugly turbines. Unlike the folk of Machrihanish, I don’t think the residents of Thanet ever grasped the impact of the significant visual intrusion on our views. This is a very deprived spot in the SE of England and the wind farms have not brought jobs here despite the earlier claims of being ’slow to react’
We have a beautiful and functional harbour and for these windfarms, it was promised that Port Ramsgate would be used as the maintenance base. Was it? Was it Hell! For the new London Array offshore wind farm, which will be the biggest in the world, Thanet has now been promised that Ramsgate will be the construction and operations and maintenance base (we’ll see). 100 employees are to be based there but there is no promise that these will go locally (and they won’t) and, as a temporary base is being built to house them, how can that help local hoteliers who are going down like ten pins?

[Ship called Dignity]

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 .

To be fair Dalintober Lad,bigchang made a statement whereas macmach asked a question. So he/she wasn't twisting any words but asking a question on a statement that quite clearly suggests if people don't support the proposals there will be no job prospects for the younger generation. Just depends which way you want to read in to it. (ps - bigchang - just explaining as you sound too big to mess with! )

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

If indeed that was your view! You must have some eye sight to see that from where you are.

[dalintober lad]

If indeed that was your view! You must have some eye sight to see that from where you are.

WEBCAM DAVIE LAD ..WEBCAM

[Offshore View]

Hello from Tiree,

Offshore ? that old chestnut. We have the 500+ turbine nightmare to contend with...and the direct affect on 750 Islanders...Tiree is obviously offshore, but the turbines will begin 5km offshore from Tiree...would anyone class the Isle of White as offshore ?
Anyhow I digress...though not directly opposed to the idea of renewable wind energy, the logic and short term nature of such an expensive and obtrusive form of energy generation to our small island community is laughable. Upward of 60 flights over the island by helicopters a day, a population increase of over 150 people is all detremental to our way of life...Crown Estates, SPR, Duke of Argyll...not to mention argyll and bute council and the rest of the quangos will laugh all the way to the bank. And you and us and Islay will get the token jobs, token community projects and other scraps from the 'Big Business' table.

So as the sun sets in the west you like us will be able to watch the steady epilepsy inducing flicker of the blades, the offshore (there I go again) light polution, and the next 25 + years of knowing we should have said 'no', and fought our corner on a common front. The have rejected the Saint Kilda area because it's a 'World heritage site......what a load of rubbish, the only people who see it are rich yachties, MOD and a few bird watchers.

If you all want the truth read the danish/dutch/US reports on the economics and actual false green credentials of Wind power...ask yourself why SPR (spanish company) are know longer putting up farms in Spain...the Spanish goverment pulled the funding when it became obvious that the whole concept is a money spinning big business white elephant. We are all been mislead, and the legacy we will leave our children ?, well they will hopefully see how we were all blind sided and not fall in the same trap.

KH Tiree

[S6MMF]

MARY C said

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?

MARY C That is a very good point you raise!

There is of course a possibility (if any of the proposals were concented) that SSE could look at a centralisation a joint maintenance set up for Kintyre and Islay (maybe). I very much doubt that the operations and maintenance would be run from Belfast it is too far away. Belfast is of course well established in respect to the initial phase for any of these projects, but only for Pre-Assembly, it takes something special to handle this, and Belfast have it in abundance. So far it has been normal practice that the operations and maintenance facilities are based in the nearest ports to the windfarm providing the ports can accommodate vessel berthing, loading requirements and an operations building. Not an issue for Kintyre or Islay. There is also the added benefit of two airports should helicopters be utilised. Another factor could be dependant on how the power gets exported; there will be the need for both onshore and offshore sub stations, which brings its own maintenance requirements at both windfarms?

Tiree proposal (if conscented) will likely begin in Belfast too for pre-assembly, but for operations and maintenance it will most likely will have it’s own set up, in case you were unaware the Tiree windfarm is not an SSE proposal it is a Scottish Power renewables proposal (two separate companies). Also looking at the proposals for Kintyre and Islay (on QTY versus MW) it looks very much like Kintyre proposal is based on Siemens 3.6MW turbine, and Islay is based on a 5MW which based on current markets is likely to be RE power turbine this may also bring some challenges to a centralised facility?? At this stage I would assume that the windfarms would operate as two separate businesses but a good point raised for SSE to answer!!

[S6MMF]

Govan Girl said

Again I say, what jobs??????????????

Yes jobs!!!
So far for the permanent based staff in the operations facility for Thanet are 90% local and are all employed for the windfarm, expected to be around 70 staff plus contractors when completed. During commissioning and to date over 300 contractors are working there!

We have a beautiful and functional harbour and for these windfarms, it was promised that Port Ramsgate would be used as the maintenance base. Was it? Was it Hell!

Yes it is I have a picture but was unable post it was the operations and maintenance location: Port of Ramsgate. Go through the tunnel, past the ferry terminal and the purpose built office for the windfarm is on your right hand side.

For the new London Array offshore wind farm, which will be the biggest in the world, Thanet has now been promised that Ramsgate will be the construction and operations and maintenance base (we’ll see).

London Array yes,
Right behind the new purpose built building in RAMSGATE is (currently under construction) the new operations facility for London Array, as well as a purpose build warehouse!
Maybe your head is buried deep in the sand that you haven’t seen it yet

This is Folk Week in Broadstairs this week, one of the busiest events in the town’s calendar.

I did look at the folk festival, looks very impressive and a great thing for Ramsgate, people look very passionate about it, I noticed that it has grown organically very well over the past years and that people flock to join in, nice to see that the tourist, party goers and locals still come to Ramsgate and aren’t deterred by the windfarm irrespect of how it may be viewed. I also did notice too that e festivals were plugging Broadstairs very much so in their definitive guide. E festivals big are also pluggers on carbon neutral and are encouraging everyone to act fast which includes support for things like windfarms

[Govangirl]

*Big sigh* S6MMF, I wish I could raise enough money to fly you down to Thanet and show us all these jobs for locals. We are in the same position as Offshore View (brilliant post, btw) and either Ramsgate was 'slow to react' or there are all these jobs - you can't have it both ways.

I did look at the folk festival, looks very impressive and a great thing for Ramsgate, people look very passionate about it, I noticed that it has grown organically very well over the past years and that people flock to join in, nice to see that the tourist, party goers and locals still come to Ramsgate and aren’t deterred by the windfarm

It's got nothing whatsoever to do with Ramsgate!!!!!!!!! It's the Broadstairs Folk Week and I can see where you are going saying that it hasn't affected tourism but this is a very long, established festival and you can't equate the two. That's cheap. They are not coming for the views, end off but it WAS the first time visitors had seen the turbines and many of them were commenting on them. Do I think that they are going to put them off coming again next year to the festival? No, of course not but that is because they are coming to the festival, not for the views. When a visitor goes to Machrihanish for the scenery . . .

[mrsc1]

Having read this thread for weeks now, I find it strange as to why so many are so worried about the effect the 'proposed' windfarm will have on tourism. These windfarms are all over the world, e.g Tenerife is polluted with them, do people stop visiting there? No I don't think so!

Anyway its always nice to have something to look at!

[bill]

Glad to see you have decided to stay with the forum S6MMF.As stated previously,I for one enjoy your factual posts .

When I was last in Machrihanish 4 weeks ago it was a nice July day during the school holidays.Now I would have thought the place would have been really busy with holidaymakers,but that certainly wasn't the case.Of the approximate 10 parking spots,across from the new golf cottages,if I remember correctly only 3 were occupied.The golf club car park was not full , and the Old Clubhouse car park was near deserted.In my view there really are no tourists of any great number to worry about .

Instead of the proposed wind farm construction what if the proposal was to attract more tourists?Now holidaymakers like things to keep their children occupied.So how about if a quad bike area was proposed on a sectioned off part of the beach,along with say jet ski hire, para gliding along with banana boats which of course are both towed by speed boats.Would that be acceptable or would there be a campaign by locals against the noise ,saying it would put the golfers off their stroke ? ?

[WC1]

I would have thought the place would have been really busy with holidaymakers,but that certainly wasn't the case.

This is exactly the point. What is at stake is not tourism as it currently stands, ie, relatively undeveloped/under-developed, but as it has the potential to be. Golf, sailing, the Kintyre Way walk, surfing, outdoor recreation of all sorts, will be the mainstay of tourism development. The problem is that no-one is going to want to develop them with this blot on the seascape in the background. Informal feedback from people visiting Machrihanish over the summer indicates that as many as 80% will be deterred from returning if the natural environment is blighted as SSE propose.

I don't think anyone in Machrihanish would object to jet skis (they're not unknown at Machrihanish anyway) or paragliding for that matter (we already have guys who surf while strapped to one of those big kite things - whatever that's called). I don't know how a banana boat would cope with the swell (or how its passengers would cope with the water temperature).

By the way, I was out at the Pans yesterday and found the car park full, as were the one at the Old Clubhouse and the one at the Golf Club. The caravan site has been pretty busy all summer.

[bill]

I don't think anyone in Machrihanish would object to jet skis (they're not unknown at Machrihanish anyway) or paragliding for that matter (we already have guys who surf while strapped to one of those big kite things - whatever that's called). I don't know how a banana boat would cope with the swell (or how its passengers would cope with the water temperature).

You forgot the cordoned off area for quad bikes ??

[WC1]

MARY C said
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?


MARY C That is a very good point you raise!

There is of course a possibility (if any of the proposals were concented) that SSE could look at a centralisation a joint maintenance set up for Kintyre and Islay (maybe). I very much doubt that the operations and maintenance would be run from Belfast it is too far away

I meant to respond to this earlier. It's not just a matter of saying there are airports at Tiree, Islay and Machrihanish so the helicopters required to fly the maintenance crews around the various turbines "could" be based there. The helicopters will require maintenance facilities as well as a place to land. These facilities exist at Prestwick and Belfast, not at Tiree, Islay or Machrihanish. Neither Belfast nor Prestwick is "too far away" as the bird (or indeed the helicopter) flies.

[A15 NMA]

My family and I were at the Beachcomber app 3 weeks ago for a meal (midweek). Upon arrival the place was desserted and we were the only people there. Just before we were ready to leave a couple of golfers (Machrihanish golf club) turned up for a drink. They were also surprised at how quiet the area was considering the time of year!

This is the middle of summer and no windfarm in sight yet!

Thankfully Govangirl has solved the mystery by saying that people only go to Machrihanish "for the view" - maybe on that night everyone was parked round at the gauldrons!

I think we all know that Machrihanish has a lot more to offer than just a "view"!

The only thing to spoil our meal was the new Machrihanish Dunes cottages which blocked "the view" from the beachcomber.

[WC1]

I don't think anyone in Machrihanish would object to jet skis (they're not unknown at Machrihanish anyway) or paragliding for that matter (we already have guys who surf while strapped to one of those big kite things - whatever that's called). I don't know how a banana boat would cope with the swell (or how its passengers would cope with the water temperature).

You forgot the cordoned off area for quad bikes ??

From what I've seen, quite a few use the beach already, at least up at the Westport end. I think there's more potential for these up in the hills though, using forestry roads etc. The point is, none of these things are mutually exclusive, and all of them can find a niche, with careful planning, that doesn't create problems for other economic and recreational activities. Unlike a certain proposed monstrosity!

[bigchang]

I believe that would be ill advised WC1 as most forest tracks have an open gate which means that it could be used by the public, most quads are not road legal i.e road tax. number plate, mot & liscense. Even using them on a beach this would cause MORE damage to the local wildlife in 1 season than the proposed windfarm would in it's lifetime.