| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Tories promise communities power to halt wind farm plans
Credit: Press Association | 30 March 2016 | www.scotsman.com ~~
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Communities would be allowed to call a halt to wind farm developments under plans revealed by the Scottish Conservatives.
A proposal to give local people the ability to impose moratoriums on wind farms features in the party’s action plan for rural Scotland ahead of May’s election.
The party said the move would help restore local accountability in the face of an “increasing creep of centralisation” under the SNP.
The document pledges: ” With a moratorium on shale gas exploration now in place, the precedent has been set and the Scottish Conservatives will argue that if councils want to put a wind farm moratorium in place, they should be allowed to do so.”
The Tories have also promised to provide more affordable rural homes, introduce universal broadband by the end of the decade, and increase the number of national parks in Scotland.
Leader Ruth Davidson has already called for an independent inquiry into the delays to EU Common Agricultural Policy payments to farmers and crofters.
Her party also pledged to give retiring farmers planning exemptions for building homes on agricultural land and support the fishing industry to comply with new regulations.
The action plan said both farmers and fishers are “fed up with empty promises and vacuous posturing from the SNP”.
Unveiling her rural plans on a visit to the summit of Cairngorm in the Highlands, Ms Davidson said: “Rural Scotland is already just about the most beautiful place on earth. But we need to make sure it has a better quality of life too.
“Pledges like accelerating rural broadband coverage, empowering communities over issues like local policing and wind farm development, and supporting affordable housing for young people will ensure that happens.
“For too long the SNP Government has been allowed to operate a central belt bias, and that has damaged our rural economy.
“It’s time for that to change, and by launching this report we have shown we are the only party absolutely committed to the wellbeing of rural Scotland.”
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.
| Wind Watch relies entirely on User Funding |
 (via Stripe) |
 (via Paypal) |
Share:
[ Short URL: https://wind-watch.org/news/?p=76740 ]
