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THE NEW PROPOSALS FOR THE GIANT LEWIS WIND FARM ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE!
The revised proposals for a giant wind farm on Lewis, in the Western Isles, Scotland, submitted on 12 December by Lewis Wind
Power (British Energy/AMEC), remain unacceptable from an environmental standpoint. Most of the turbines and associated infrastructure
are still located on the Lewis Peatlands SPA and the development, if it goes ahead, will lead inevitably to large scale habitat
destruction and associated negative impact on rare and protected bird populations.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has declared its intention to lodge a strong objection to the proposals
and has appealed for a large measure of support. The Scottish Executive received more than 4,000 objections to the original
proposal - a record for this type of development. Two statutory agencies - Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Environmental
Protection Agency - were among the objectors.
More detailed information can be found at:
RSBP SCOTLAND
and ...
LEWIS WIND POWER
WHAT YOU CAN DO!
Objections to the wind farm proposals must be made to the Scottish Executive (SE) before the end of January 2007.
Copy the text below (or write your own)and send it by email to the SE.
EMAIL TO THE SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
to: energyconsents@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
bcc: info@proact-campaigns.net
To:
Consents and Emergency Planning Unit, The Scottish Executive,
Subject: OBJECTION TO GIANT WIND FARM ON THE ISLAND OF LEWIS, SCOTLAND
I/we hereby object to the revised planning application, submitted on 12 December by Lewis Wind Power (British Energy/AMEC),
for a giant wind farm on Lewis. Most of the turbines and associated infrastructure are still located on the Lewis Peatlands
SPA.
Although the developer has made changes to the layout and reduced the number of turbines - partly to minimise bird impacts
- grave concerns about the wind farm's impact on the natural environment remain. Despite the changes, the development remains
huge in scale: 181 wind turbines, each 140 metres tall, on an area designated for its special wildlife. There would be over
30 kilometres (27 miles) of overhead cables supported by 137 pylons (each 27 metres high), with a similar length again of
cable underground; plus turbine foundations (each around 1000 cubic metres), hard standings, roads, quarries and no fewer
than 8 electrical substations.
The new proposals by Lewis Wind Power to address the threats to key bird species (including golden eagles, red and black
throated divers and merlin) by moving turbines, creating buffer zones and offering mitigation for habitat loss - are unconvincing.
They say the damage that will occur is justified - an absurd and callous statement. I/we are especially concerned about the
impacts of this development on dunlin and golden plover, which breed here in very high densities. Serious damage to these
populations will be inevitable and cannot be avoided by the proposals submitted by the developers.
The moor is a very special place, both in national and international terms. The fragile peatland habitat (blanket bog)
is found only in a few areas in the world, and though the turbines could be taken down after the lifetime of the development,
the supporting infrastructure would cause irreversible damage to the structure of the peat, altering the water pattern and
soil make-up forever. Experts consider that the developers have seriously under-estimated the damage to the habitat.
The arguments that the development would enable the Isles to be developed as a renewable energy powerhouse, creating local
employment and bringing much-needed income to the community do not justify destruction of one of the finest wildlife sites
in Europe. Your own research shows that Scotland can exceed its renewable energy targets without the need for development
on sensitive sites such as this.
I /we wish to register our objection, in the strongest possible terms, to the proposed Lewis wind farm.
Yours sincerely,
(Name and address)
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