I doubt his decision will be founded deep in the democratic process. But he is after a referendum. It would be nice to think he will not act all bully boy
I'm not optimistic about the eventual outcome unfortunately. With his success in the election last May, Alex Salmond thinks he can do almost anything with impunity.
This isn't like Trump's Golf Course: That was a split vote 50/50 after Salmond had had the Planning Chairman removed. This was 9-3. Salmond will find it much more difficult to overturn those kind of odds. Indeed, the principal protagonist, Cllr Dave Fallows is SNP himself!
The JMT, MCofS, and Cairngorm National Park Authority are going to need all the help they can get now, with RWE nPower and Wee Alec lined up against them. Don't forget, the developer will be fighting this with OUR money. he will just include the costs of the enquiry into the price of the Electricity Bills.
I agree a 9-3 vote against gives a certain authority to the decision and it's very helpful that Dave Fallows is SNP and that he recognises that we should be protecting the Monadhliath for their own sake - the wildness of the area - and not 'just' because of the proximity to the National Park. If we only use or over emphasise the latter reason, then it's going to be open season on other equally wild areas of the Highlands with no NP nearby.
As always I hope I'm wrong in my gloomy outlook, but Mr Salmond is more self assured than ever and I'm not sure a 9-3 vote will sway him. And think Calliacher and Griffin windfarms - the former rejected twice and opposed by the local community and then approved by the government. P&K council were landed with a £185000 bill for I&H Brown's legal costs of appeal. By the end of 2010 (only figs I have) it's cost the council nearly £1m to fight windfarm development, so I'm only too aware that it's 'our' money being used one way or another.
Needless to say I'll be doing what I can to help JMT etc fight on.
Hi Gibson. That's a massive figure that P&K have had to shell out. It might well be that other authorities see these figures and duck the fight, being unwilling to take those financial risks. If that is the case, the developer is laughing all the way to the bank.
They might at that. It's to P&Ks credit that they've stated they are prepared to oppose turbines irrespective of cost whenever they believe them inappropriate. Next test will be the proposed extension to the Burnfoot turbines in the Ochils (currently only in Clackmannanshire where the council has just gone SNP!). Part of the extension would be in Perthshire, so we'll have to see how 'inappropriate' they think they are. Come to think of it, the SNP councillors voted no to Burnfoot, but Labour pushed it through. Maybe there is hope!!
6 comments:
I doubt his decision will be founded deep in the democratic process.
But he is after a referendum.
It would be nice to think he will not act all bully boy
BUT............
Hi Andrew
I'm not optimistic about the eventual outcome unfortunately. With his success in the election last May, Alex Salmond thinks he can do almost anything with impunity.
This isn't like Trump's Golf Course: That was a split vote 50/50 after Salmond had had the Planning Chairman removed. This was 9-3. Salmond will find it much more difficult to overturn those kind of odds. Indeed, the principal protagonist, Cllr Dave Fallows is SNP himself!
The JMT, MCofS, and Cairngorm National Park Authority are going to need all the help they can get now, with RWE nPower and Wee Alec lined up against them. Don't forget, the developer will be fighting this with OUR money. he will just include the costs of the enquiry into the price of the Electricity Bills.
Hi Alan
I agree a 9-3 vote against gives a certain authority to the decision and it's very helpful that Dave Fallows is SNP and that he recognises that we should be protecting the Monadhliath for their own sake - the wildness of the area - and not 'just' because of the proximity to the National Park. If we only use or over emphasise the latter reason, then it's going to be open season on other equally wild areas of the Highlands with no NP nearby.
As always I hope I'm wrong in my gloomy outlook, but Mr Salmond is more self assured than ever and I'm not sure a 9-3 vote will sway him. And think Calliacher and Griffin windfarms - the former rejected twice and opposed by the local community and then approved by the government. P&K council were landed with a £185000 bill for I&H Brown's legal costs of appeal. By the end of 2010 (only figs I have) it's cost the council nearly £1m to fight windfarm development, so I'm only too aware that it's 'our' money being used one way or another.
Needless to say I'll be doing what I can to help JMT etc fight on.
Hi Gibson.
That's a massive figure that P&K have had to shell out. It might well be that other authorities see these figures and duck the fight, being unwilling to take those financial risks. If that is the case, the developer is laughing all the way to the bank.
Hello again Alan,
They might at that. It's to P&Ks credit that they've stated they are prepared to oppose turbines irrespective of cost whenever they believe them inappropriate. Next test will be the proposed extension to the Burnfoot turbines in the Ochils (currently only in Clackmannanshire where the council has just gone SNP!). Part of the extension would be in Perthshire, so we'll have to see how 'inappropriate' they think they are. Come to think of it, the SNP councillors voted no to Burnfoot, but Labour pushed it through. Maybe there is hope!!
Post a Comment