A second application for wind turbines withdrawn because of inaccuracies

Renewable Energy Ventures Ltd (REV), 50% owned by Lord Nicol Stephen, and his agent Green Cat Renewables Ltd (GCR), have for the second time in 2011 been asked by Aberdeenshire Planning Department to withdraw their application to build 3 x 326 feet high wind turbines on the slopes of Pressendye in Royal Deeside and Donside. Yet again, this is because of inaccurate and missing information.

One of the reasons that the latest planning application was asked to be withdrawn was because the environmental statement places turbine number 1 at least 60m outside the site boundary and there is some doubt about the exact location of turbine number 2. “This throws the efficacy of the information provided in the Environmental Impact Assessment into doubt and we have the evidence to prove it”, says a spokesperson from STiC. “To have to withdraw one application because of inaccurate information is bad enough but to have to withdraw two begs the question about what they are trying to achieve”.

Stop Turbines in Cushnie chairperson, Caroline Gerrie points out that developers do not have an automatic right to build turbines wherever they like. “They have a duty to provide truthful, accurate and up to date information about the proposed development so that individuals can evaluate the facts and decide how they want to respond to the application. What REV and GCR have provided to the public, twice now, is a package of information which is inaccurate, incomplete and is riddled with ambiguity. Does Nicol Stephen think that we are not going to read this document? Or does he think no-one will object? Or does he just want to bypass the democratic planning process and get straight to the appeal stage? Whatever his motives, this is a sheer waste of everyone’s time and effort and a complete waste of taxpayers’ money not to mention the abuse of the planning process.”

Dominic Devlin who lives at Blackhills Farmhouse was indignant that, “In the first application we were implicated as having a financial interest in the scheme and would, therefore, not be making an objection. This could not be further from the truth. In the second application, a grid reference shows a turbine to be built on land owned by someone not associated with the application!

When he quit as leader of the Scottish Lib Dems, Nicol Stephen said the job was putting too much strain on his family life, quote, ‘The health and wellbeing of your family has got to come first’. “My response to that”, says Caroline Gerrie, “does his pursuit of massive profits equate to looking after his family interests to the detriment of hundreds of others? What about the health and wellbeing of all the people in the community that will be affected by the construction of these monstrous wind turbines? What about the stress and strain we are all living under knowing that another application will be forthcoming. Is this latest example of gross incompetence a deliberate strategy to grind down people whose rights you are riding roughshod over? Well Lord Stephen, people here have seen through your hypocrisy and the support to stop turbines from being built at Cushnie is growing and growing and will only increase. So, if you think you can wear us down, think again. We will send an even more resounding rebuttal the third time round and as many more times as it takes.” The fact that the STiC website is ranked number 1 in Google’s search engine for all UK-wide wind farm campaigns must show the level of feeling and support there is for the STiC campaign.

On being asked to join the House of Lords Nicol Stephen said, "…..and carry on fighting for the interests of Aberdeen and the North East." Whose interests are you really fighting for Lord Stephen?

RE-APPLICATION FOR WIND FARM THREATENS DEESIDE AND DONSIDE AGAIN

Same applicant, same developer, same issues

Green Cat Renewables Ltd acting on behalf of Renewable Energy Ventures Ltd (a company 50% owned by ex-MSP Lord Nicol Stephen) and Ian Christie (owner of the land on which the proposed turbines are to be sited) has resubmitted an application to build three giant wind turbines, 100 metres (328ft) high on the slopes of Pressendye at Blackhills Farm, Cushnie near Tarland and close to many properties in the community. They will be visible from Tarland and the Howes of Cushnie and Cromar, and from many more distant viewpoints. They would ruin the unique landscape of Deeside and Donside for many years to come.