Machrihanish Offshore Windfarm

[Ags]

Kintyre Offshore Windfarm Action Group now have their own website to keep all interested parties informed with what is going on. (Hopefully this will not detract from the lively debate on Kintyre forum). You can check out their website at
http://www.kintyreoffshorewindfarmag.co.uk

I have also been asked to post the following information:


The Kintyre Offshore Windfarm Action Group is to hold 2 public events to bring the local community up to date with its activities since the initial public meeting in July.

The meetings will be:

Tuesday 5th October Machrihanish Village Hall @ 7.30pm
Wednesday 6th October Argyll Arms Hotel, Campbeltown @ 7.30pm
So if you would like to hear why we oppose this development so strongly and what we have been doing to ensure Scottish Southern Electricity's profit driven plans are defeated, please come along and participate.

[Govangirl]

I feel I have to post this as today, in my back garden, so to speak, the world's biggest wind farm was officially opened. Every day I see these 100 ugly eyesores but as I have said many times on here, they are not sited in an area of natural beauty. Watching the news tonight I was bemused to hear that all of the turbines were built overseas, just as 80% of jobs went overseas (with a very tiny proportion of the remainder going locally), the construction of these farms were done from European, not British, ports (in our case, Dunkirk), that although Labour had promised £60m to upgrade the infrastructure at Britain's ports to attract wind turbine manufacturers to the UK, that money is now at risk in the latest Spending Review and lastly, I heard today that in the future, offshore wind farms could have up to 1,000 turbines.
In other words, Mr Carnumberplate needs to be honest about what benefits a community will gain.
And folk need to keep fighting these plans.
Unless of course you want to look out at a thousand turbines every day for the rest of your lives!

[StephenJ]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/8028328/Britains-offshore-windpower-costs-twice-as-much-as-coal-and-gas-generated-electricity.html

[gizmo]

Very interesting article. We have a windfarm down this way, very small in comparison to what is proposed at Machrihanish.
It has never worked at better than 26% capacity since it was erected. Although it gives £50,000 per annum to the local area for eco-projects. Downside is the 50K they give us for eco-crap is paid for out of the subsidy we give to them. The local council use the subsidy to transform 2 houses, using heating systems which they have no intention of using in the rest of their housing stock and which are at best, unproven. It really is a lose/lose stuation and I get the pleasure of paying for this madness.
Minds me a lot of Sweltereds comment of "I have some magic beans for sale". (I have claimed that one as my own down here. Nobody reads the forum down this way. Thanks Alan ).

[Ags]

Kintyre Offshore Windfarm Action Group are holding their next committee meeting tomorrow night. This will be followed up with 2 public meetings next week to inform interested parties on all the updates and new information received and discovered since the committee was formed. These meetings will be held in Machrihanish Village Hall on Tuesday 5th October at 7.30pm and The Argyll Arms Hotel in Campbeltown on Wednesday 6th October at 7.30pm. Hopefully some information will be made available to post on here for those of you who can't get along to the meetings. There will also be some representatives from the committee at the ABREEF event this week just focusing on the environmental issues.

[StephenJ]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/8025148/The-Thanet-wind-farm-will-milk-us-of-billions.html

[Kintyre Forum News]

Interesting comparison taken from the campaign against the wind farm's facebook page at

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pag ... 756?ref=ts

[Kintyre Forum News]

See agenda item 23.

On the basis of information to date, the constraints that apply, the proximi y of the site to the shore and the lack of options to move further offshore to mitigate against the landscape impact, the Council does no consider that this site should be included in he Draft Plan as a possible short term opion.

http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/moderngov ... 6&MId=4328

[kowag]

The petition against Machrihanish Offshore Windfarm can now be signed online at the following link
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3KC7S8X

[skowag]

In the interests of democracy,the petition in SUPPORT of the Machrihanish Offshore Windfarm can now be signed online at the following link

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PWLR8JN

[Nancie]

In the interests of democracy I think we should be told who is behind SKOWAG.

Kintyre Offshore Windfarm Action Group (KOWAG) was formed following a public meeting in July. A committee was elected with office bearers. The group now has a constitution. Another public meeting in Machrihanish was held tonight so that the public could be kept informed of progress and another will be held in Campbeltown tomorrow night. (7.30pm in the Argyll Hotel)

That's democracy.

When was SKOWAG formed? Who are the office bearers? Who is actually behind it?

If they have nothing to hide they will show their faces and let people see what they are signing up for.

[kowag]

In the interests of democracy,the petition in SUPPORT of the Machrihanish Offshore Windfarm can now be signed online

skowag - if you are taking democracy so seriously it may have been appropriate to give a little more thought to your username! Feel free to SUPPORT KINTYRE OFFSHORE WINDFARM ACTION GROUP!.

Just a reminder too of the public meeting to be held in the Argyll Arms Hotel tomorrow at 7.30pm. There was a good turn out in Machrihanish Village Hall tonight and it was really interesting to hear exactly what the committee have been doing in the 10 weeks since the first public meeting in the same hall. A wealth of information has been gathered by the hard working action group.
The public were informed of all the meetings members of the action group have attended with Mp's and MSP's and various written replies were also quoted.
Alan Reid MP has stressed (like all of the Action Group) that he is "usually supportive of windfarms because of the need for electricity to be generated without carbon emissions and for the work that it brings to Campbeltown" he continued to say "having studied the plans i am opposed to it (Machrihanish) because it is far too close to the shore." He has responded to the Scottish Government's consultation saying that "the proposed windfarm is far too close to shore and the sheer size and scale of what is being presented is simply not proportionate with the scenic beauty of the existing land and seascape."

The director for Loganair has stated that the offshore windfarm will have "serious implications for the continuity and safety of flying operations into and out of Campbeltown Airport". In a letter about the development it was pointed out that "It is usual for a 10-15km radius around an airport to be free of obstacles that may constitute a hazard to aircraft". The letter also states that the current descent path has aircraft at 148m above where the turbines will be. The turbines are 133m tall hence only 15m clearance which is unacceptable. Surely flight danger alone should be enough to stop this monstrosity.

A 4 minute film montage has been produced by the action group and it is well worth viewing....especially if you are not sure of the exact location of the proposed 105 turbines. This film was shown tonight and can be viewed again at tomorrow's public meeting. New information leaflets have been printed, a very informative show of posters will be on display and you will be able to sign the petition or join up to be part of the action group. Here's hoping for a big turn out tomorrow night. Just because Argyll and Bute Council have announced they are against the wind farm, the fight has a long long way to go! Let's keep fighting!

[Pans Lass]

In the interests of democracy I think we should be told who is behind SKOWAG.


That's democracy.

When was SKOWAG formed? Who are the office bearers? Who is actually behind it?

If they have nothing to hide they will show their faces and let people see what they are signing up for.

In the interests of democracy,the petition in SUPPORT of the Machrihanish Offshore Windfarm can now be signed online

skowag - if you are taking democracy so seriously it may have been appropriate to give a little more thought to your username! Feel free to SUPPORT KINTYRE OFFSHORE WINDFARM ACTION GROUP!.

Let's keep fighting!

Well said !!


Meeting was very informative and the 4 minute film montage spoke a thousand words!

[Ags]

Well said !!
Meeting was very informative and the 4 minute film montage spoke a thousand words!

Totally agree Pans Lass it's awful!! I want a copy of it to send to Bill

[Pans Lass]

I just noticed SKOWAG browsing this thread but he/she has left without comment !! No reply SKOWAG