News Release
For immediate use
Ramblers Welcome Rejection of Four Windfarm Proposals
Ramblers Scotland President, Cameron McNeish, welcomed today’s news that all four proposals for windfarm development in the Ochils, between Stirling and Perth, have been thrown out by Perth and Kinross Council. These include proposed development areas near to Gleneagles Hotel, location for the forthcoming G8 summit of world leaders.
Cameron McNeish said:
“This is the turning point for commercial wind farm developers. Perth and Kinross Council have made it clear that industrial scale wind turbine development is not acceptable in our rural landscape.
Developers need to face the reality that the place for giant turbines, around 100 metres or more to the vertical blade tip, is well offshore. The future for wind energy development on the land must be based on community scale projects, with turbines around 50 metres or less in height.”
Cameron McNeish also noted the significance of this decision in relation to the forthcoming G8 summit at Gleneagles:
“This decision by Perth and Kinross Council coincides with the Prime Minister’s visit to the USA to discuss the G8 summit and the critical issue of climate change. I applaud the Prime Minister’s efforts to persuade world leaders to redouble their efforts to tackle the problems of climate change. Such leadership is, however, not matched by action on the ground. Plastering the Scottish hills with giant wind turbines will never solve the climate change crisis.
When world leaders assemble at Gleneagles they should enjoy their view of the Ochils, welcome the protection being given by Perth and Kinross Council, and resolve to tackle climate change through measures which command public support, are environmentally sensitive and make economic sense.”
