NEWS
UPDATE to December 28 2011
Lewis Wind Power
LWP have submitted an application to build a 42 turbine windfarm south of Stornoway, to the west of the Lochs Road. A non-technical summary can be downloaded from their website:
SSE Subsea-cable 11/11/10
SSE said its national grid operator subsiduary SHETL has:
"concluded that the lack of financial underwriting from electricity generators (attributed to the level of transmission charges) relating to the link from the Western Isles to the mainland meant it would not be able to conclude a contract for the supply of the necessary electricity cable. As a result, it withdrew its request to Ofgem for authorisation to make the investment. It will, however, prepare a new request for authorisation to invest in the link as soon as these issues are resolved. In practice, this is likely to take at least one year.”
NEW: Muaitheabhal Windfarm East Extension - CONSENTED December 8 2011
28th December 2010: The Scottish Government has issued a press release announcing that it has approved the 6 turbine, 21MW extension to the Muaitheabhal Windfarm (118MW, 33 turbines see below). The proposed extension turbines will be 150m high to blade tip, some of the largest onshore turbines proposed in the UK.
The decision notice can be downladed from the government website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/917/0123862.pdf
The link to the site map also links to the decision notice but a a map showing the proposed layout from the application is on the Mauaitheabhal page (menu left).
14 January 2010: The Scottish Government announced that it had given planing consent for 33 turbines to be built on the Eishken Estate. These are the turbines that were proposed in the last application by Beinn Mor and Crionaig Power in August.
Beinn Mhor A.K.A Pentland Road Windfarm
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar have approved the first windfarm on the Lewis Peatlands Special Protection Area. The 6 turbine project was first aproved in 2003 amidst great controversy when Scottish Natural Heritage withdrew their objection, following a one day inspection by SNH officers, which they claimed allowed them to conclude that the windfarm would not impact on the interests of the SPA. This was following a catalogue of complaints after the developers had already manifestly failed to conform to SNH's own guidelines for Environmentalk Impact Assesments, compalints which neither SNH or the plannning authorities upheld. The application was then called in following objections from the aviation industry and was potentially heading for Public Inquiry when a suprise announcement was made this year that the aviation issues had been
resolved. The details have not yet been made public.
PAIRC WINDFARM, PAIRC ESTATE
Both Lewis Wind Power and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar are now lobbying for the Pairc SSE application to be disregarded in future considerations of the cumulative impacts of windfarm projects on Lewis and Harris.
Documentation released with the Beauly Denny line consent listed Pairc Windfarm as a 'suspended' project, while media reports have suggested that SSE may be concentrating their efforts on off-shore projects. Scottish and Southern Energy submitted an ammended application to build a 26 turbine (94 MW) windfarm on Pairc Estate in Feb 2009. This application was recommended for approval by the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar planning committee on 21 April 2009. A previous application by SSE PLC to build a 205MW windfarm on Pairc Estate, Isle of Lewis, was put before Comhairle nan Eilean Siar in 2007. It was decided to recommend that the Scottish Ministers approve only 26 of turbines.
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APPLICATIONS AND CONSULTATIONS
Recent media coverage
Also see the Archive pages - left menu
April 3 2012
Boost for island energy bid
April 2 2012
Eishken windfarm sold to French-owned giant
New owner for Lewis wind farm site
Step forward for Western Isles' biggest planned wind farm
International Power Secures Rights for Isle of Lewis Wind Farm
March 21 2012
Construction of Loch Carnan Community Windfarm starts
March 8 2012
Stornoway Wind Farm developer welcomes unequivocal endorsement from Comhairle
March 3 2012
Giant Stornoway windfarm wins council approval
March 2 2012
Loch Carnan Community Windfarm
March 1 2012
Storas Uibhist launches largest community owned windfarm in Scotland
February 14 2012
Stornoway Trust call for end of windfarm lease row
Point wind farm delay row
February 10 2012
Cheaper power to the people
January 16 2012
Pentland Road wind farm to start in Spring
January 8 2012
Scottish Government accused of undemocratic windfarm approval
January 7 2012
Lewis windfarm extension could harm eagles, says RSPB
December 31 2011
Anger after four out of five major wind farms approved by ministers
December 22 2011
Two windfarms approved
Island energy schemes hit by charging plans
Go ahead for island windfarm
December 21 2011
Windfarm charges may fall but island generators still hardest hit
December 20 2011
Ofgem plan 'fairer' grid charges to benefit renewables
December 8 2011
Michael Kelly: Oh, for a straight answer from the First Minister
December 8 2011
Community benefits from renewables
November 24 2011
Loan for Galson wind turbine
Older news items relating to all windfarm developments on the Outer Hebrides are to be found in the Archive pages
PUBLICATIONS
January 30 2009 - The Scottish Government report on the development of renewable energy on the Western Isles has been published
October 2007 - The Scottish national campaign group Views of Scotland have published two reports on the Lewis windfarms for the SNP Conference.
"Carbon savings and wind power on Lewis" provides an analysis of the CO2 emissions that could be offset by the schemes, from the developers claims through to scenarios taking account of potential CO2 emissions from degraded peat disturbed by the developments.
"Public attitudes to wind power on Lewis" brings together the results of the measures of public opinion which have been undertaken on the island from the first survey by the North Lewis windfarm Survey Group to the recent Pairc Community Council Ballot, as well as the number of objections to each proposal.
Download both reports at: http://www.viewsofscotland.org/snp_conference/
MWT would like to express our thanks to Views of Scotland for their support !
CAMPAIGN INFORMATION DOWNLOADS
No windfarctory on Lewis!
COPYRIGHT
All information contained on this website is copyright Moorland without Turbines unless otherwise stated. Please contatct us if you would like to directly reproduce any on the content. Thank you.
ABOUT US
We are Lewis residents, who are alarmed and concerned at the various proposed windfarm developments for our island. Our concerns are:
- a lack of public discussion on these developments;
- the failure to ascertain the views of the people who are most affected;
- the visual impact ;
- Environmental - irreversible damage to blanket bog, adverse affects to bird habitat and life,
effects on natural water channels, rivers and lochans;
- Adverse affect on crofting, tourism and our way of life;
- Encroachment on a SPA (Special Protection Area) which has been designated by Europe
and which should be protected, and on the habitats of species protected under European law.
- that a public resource can be used so readily by a private company to make profit
- Disregard for the natural heritage of our island
- Lack of a coherent renewable energy policy for these islands from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the
local authority
We began with informal meetings in each others homes, progressed onto more public meetings and have now galvanised ourselves into a formal opposition group to the inappropriate developments that are being proposed for Lewis. We have a steering group, a number of sub-groups and an increasing number of people who subscribe to our aims and whom we regularly keep in contact with via email and telephone. If you would like to join this list, please go to the contact section. We welcome everybody who shares our aims to join and support our effort.
Our Aims
(a) “To protect the Lewis landscape, its people and economy against inappropriate industrial developments, such as the currently proposed windfarm schemes; and to oppose the pylon-isation of the Highlands and Islands.
(b) To be a small active group that encourages, supports and mobilises the wider population in opposition of inappropriate developments.
(c) To liaise with all interested parties in relation to (a) & (b) above
How to help
MWT has now been existence for over 4 years - During this time many hundreds of hours have been spent undertaking research, preparing information, printing, copying videos, delivering literally thousands of information leaflets and objection letters accross the island, organising meetings .. the list is endless.
We have only been able to acheive this through the dedication of volunteers willing to give their time, energy and skills. The costs of the campaign over 4 years have been met purely by donations, often small, a pound or two, for which we are extremely grateful.
Please help us continue to fight for the Lewis Moorland and its people.
We have a bank account in the name of “Mòinteach gun Mhuileann” with the Clydesdale Bank, Stornoway branch, Sort Code: 82-69-25, Account: 90048349……….
A standing order form is also available (in PDF format) here. MGM-SO.pdf
We can now accept donations via Paypal. Please send these from your Paypal account to: mwt@semantise.com.
Any amount would be gratefully appreciated. Mòran taing. Thank you.
Contact us
MWT,1 North Bragar, Isle of Lewis, HS2 9DA
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