Stop Highland Windfarms Campaign march and demonstration 

STOP HIGHLAND WINDFARMS CAMPAIGN HAS ORGANISED A MARCH AND DEMONSTRATION TO PROTEST AGAINST THE PROLIFERATION OF WIND FARMS ACROSS SCOTLAND

IT WILL TAKE PLACE ON 3RD MARCH 2012 TO COINCIDE WITH THE SCOTTISH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS SPRING CONFERENCE AT EDEN COURT, INVERNESS

Pat Wells, Convenor of Stop Highland Windfarms Campaign, says ‘Public awareness of the windfarm scam in Scotland is increasing daily. The media publicity about the huge sums of money paid to windfarm developers to switch off turbines because it was too windy, coupled with the inability of wind farms to produce any electricity at times of high pressure, cold weather and peak demand has caused supporters of renewable energy to challenge the value of wind power generation’.

For these reasons, amongst others, it is time for people to make their opposition clear to the politicians responsible for both energy policy and planning policy. The march and demonstration provides an opportunity.

Prior to his resignation, we had been infromed that Chris Huhne MP was attending the conference on 3rd March. We are STILL waiting for confirmation that his successor as Energy Secretary, Ed Davey MP, will be attending and we have requested a meeting with him. Other UK Government MPs are expected to be attending. We have said we are available on any day of the conference to speak with a Westminster Minister.

The Scottish Energy Minister, Fergus Ewing, met with a small delegation of protesters at the SNP conference in October last year.

The Coalition Liberal Democrats need to show that they care about the people North of the Border who are living under the threat of multiple wind farm developments and that they are prepared, as were the SNP, to meet with us to listen to our very serious concerns regarding the industrialisation of Scotland with wind farms.

With council elections in May and the referendum for Independence looming we need to know the politicians we vote for are listening to us.

The UK Government makes the policy regarding funding wind farm development and is directly responsible for what is happening to our communities and environment. Wind farm developers receive a generous subsidy financed by domestic and industrial electricity consumers. Without this subsidy developers would not be constructing the wind farms that are devastating our country.

The increasingly high cost of electricity is causing fuel poverty to escalate at an alarming rate. We all pay to fund this subsidy-driven, inefficient, unreliable and hugely costly form of generation through our domestic bills and through costs passed down to us by industrial electricity consumers.

In Scotland, wind farm development applications are initially considered by local councils which are required to apply the Scottish Government’s planning policy. Frequently when a local council recommends refusal of a wind farm application the developer goes to appeal and a public inquiry is triggered. This is vey costly for councils and without wind farm planning applications and public inquiries councils would have much more money to spend on essential services in our communities.

Lyndsey Ward, one of the protest organisers says ‘We may not have an opportunity like this again, here in Scotland, to make our feelings known to the UK Coalition Government Ministers. We urge everyone who is opposed to wind farm development and the scandalous subsidy payments that fund them, to join us and add their support to our campaign for a change of policy and removal of the subsidy.”

Notes for Editors:

Please find attached the final document regarding the march and demonstration in Inverness on Saturday 3rd March. This replaces any previous notifications you may have received.

Please note the location of the start of the march is now Inverness Castle and NOT Falcon Square.

Stop Highlands Windfarms Campaign has been granted permission to march through Inverness from the Castle to Eden Court.

We will gather at the Castle at 11.00 am and march to Eden Court where we will hold the demonstration.

See details on website www.caithnesswindfarms.co.uk .

Please contact Pat Wells 01808 511351 or Lyndsey Ward 01463 782997 if you require more information.