The River Oykel is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest which is home to other protected species including breeding pairs of White Tailed Sea Eagles and Osprey, which are liable to be affected by a decline in water quality and supply of the aquatic creatures they feed on. It is also worth considering how many thousands of tons of concrete will be poured into the bases of each of these massive turbines, disturbing precious peat, which has been shown to be a more valuable carbon store than the world’s forests. A recent report has argued that the failure to protect peat is a ticking ‘carbon bomb’, and that defending peatlands is an effective way to address the climate crisis. On the surface, then, locating these massive turbines so close to our precious rivers may look like a solution to the climate crisis. In reality they are, as our local councillors have frequently concluded, the wrong developments in the wrong place.

ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT IMPACTS

With the destruction of the tranquil landscape along the Kyle of Sutherland we may also  see the loss of two vital sources of employment in this area, the fishing industry and tourism. Salmon fishing on the Kyle of Sutherland goes back deep into the history of the area and was once a vibrant industry. Today wild Atlantic Salmon are endangered, and the Scottish Government puts precious funding into their tracking and protection. But numerous local jobs still depend on the famous fishing rivers which flow through central Sutherland and attract anglers from all over the world. It makes no economic sense to put this industry at risk by threatening vital water purity and species survival, and destroying the calm rural landscape which attracts fishers and other visitors. With the bypassing of Central Sutherland due to the Dornoch Bridge tourism is one of the most important remaining sources of employment in the area, supporting hotels, cafes, pubs, B&Bs and local shops. Government representatives and reports frequently refer to depopulation as an urgent concern in the Highlands. Why then is the Kyle of Sutherland being sacrificed and left open to the very real threat of decline?

THE PLANNING PROCESS

It is no exaggeration to say that NORoS has made representations in every wind farm application to have been proposed in the Rosehall area, but none have been as dispiriting as the recent Strath Oykel planning process and outcome.

The Strath Oykel application was refused by the Highland Council. This triggered a Public Inquiry at which NORoS and numerous local residents gathered in the local hall, day on day, to hear legal arguments and, on the final evening, to make our own representations at a well-attended session. Not one, but two, Government Reporters conducted the inquiry, one of whom is an Assistant Chief Reporter of Scotland with a significant history of approving applications. It took fourteen long months for the results of the inquiry to be made public and in one sense the outcome was a triumph for local residents and for our long local campaign. In a fair and balanced report the Reporters upheld the Highland Council decision and recommended refusal of the application. BUT no triumph was to be had for the beleaguered residents of Strath Oykel, Doune and Brae who will live cheek by jowl with these turbines. Government ministers rejected the recommendation and overruled their own report, issuing a notice of approval for the Strath Oykel wind farm.  That may be their legal right, but to many in the local area it hardly seems fair play. It sets a precedent whereby it is feared all other applications in this small area will be rubber-stamped, despite any public representations and inquiries which may be held.

IT IS FOR THESE REASONS WE CONTINUE OUR CAMPAIGN AND ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT