As all readers know, there is a very important debate taking place about the future of energy policy in Scotland - and rightly so.
Listening to the most recent debates in Parliament, most especially the one about hydrogen on 1st May, there is actually a surprising amount of consensus about what has to happen - with the notable exception of nuclear energy about which there remain deep divisions.
When it comes to local issues however, it is much harder to find that consensus especially when it comes to the construction of wind turbines, solar farms and battery farms. On the one hand, they can be seen as an important aspect of our renewable energy strategy to achieve our climate goals, but, on the other, they can be a glaring blight on our rural landscapes.
I approach the energy debate - as I hope I do with all debates – examining the facts, closely considering both sides of the debate and attempting to find a considered and pragmatic response. For example, when I am lobbied to support a wind turbine application or a solar farm or battery farm, I want to look in detail at all points of view and how these articulate with the facts. As such, my support for any project is always conditional based on the economic and business case but also, most importantly, on the consent of the local community.
When I was first elected to the Scottish Parliament two decades ago, one of my very first constituency engagements was to attend a public meeting in Crieff when the proposal for some local wind turbines, just east of the town, was causing very considerable concern amongst local residents. The public meeting was standing room only and the developer, plus an expert from Denmark on wind turbines, both made impressive presentations. Unfortunately for them however, the facts did not stack up and it was very obvious that the vast majority of the public was opposed to the proposal.
Many years later, most of the communications I receive now are not just about wind turbines (and Strathearn currently faces another one on the Meallbrodden site near Fowlis Wester) but about proposed solar farms and battery farms – the Methven area being an example.
The public well understands the requirement for renewable energy, but they also want to see applications that provide an objective analysis and which keep to a minimum any intrusion on the local environment.
What I find wholly unacceptable is the recurrent pressure by which applications, which have already been overwhelmingly rejected by a local authority, are subsequently overturned by the Scottish Government. A rush to meet preconceived “national targets” should never override the clear will of local communities.
Of course, what is an important and related issue is the much needed reform of the planning process and that is, no doubt, a topic for a future column…….
