Dear Supporters

The pre examination meeting for the conjoined public enquiry for: Knockcronal, Carrick and Craiginmoddie was held on 10^th January 2023 in the Carrick Centre in Maybole. This meeting was to set the parameters and the timescale for the inquiry and was chaired by the 3 reporters assigned to the 3 applications. The Inquiry will take place during the months of May and June 2023.

The KC’s and solicitors for the 3 applicants were present along with a KC and planning officer for South Ayrshire Council. Other attendees included NatureScot, Glasgow Prestwick Airport, Galloway Biosphere, Crosshill, Kirkmichael and Straiton Community Council, Dailly Community Council, Save Straiton and some other interested parties.

Save Straiton had proposed that the issue of noise and shadow flicker should be dealt with over 4 days (a day for each and a further day for the cumulative impact). The reporters did not agree and proposed that 2 days of a virtual session would be adequate. Save Straiton was allowed to provide further information on this issue for the 3^rd February 2023 to support the request for more time and a real inquiry session. This submission has been made and the reporters have yet to feedback on this matter.

Of real concern was the issue of residential amenity and the reporters allowed an increase proposed by Save Straiton in the number of site visits on what had initially been proposed by the reporters. The number of site visits will be a sample of the considerable number of residences in the Girvan Valley to gauge the level of the impacts on residential amenity. Save Straiton has sought to have the impacts of noise and shadow flicker assessed as part of the site visits and not limited to visual amenity.

Of note is that NatureScot has now withdrawn its objection to the 3 applications on the basis of the impact on the Merrick Wild Land. They have done this following their review of the National Planning Framework 4, now adopted by Scottish Government, and their interpretation that wind power plants out with the wild land area can be permitted and the impact on the wild land area is irrelevant. Save Straiton will contest this interpretation of NPF4.

We will keep you up to date of further developments of the inquiry.

Thank you to all those that attended and spoke at the meeting on 27^th November. We hope you found the session useful and informative.

To recap, the schemes at Knockcronal, Carrick and Craiginmoddie are to be heard at a public enquiry in the new year. Save Straiton for Scotland will be appearing at the enquiry to present our opposition case. The application for the scheme at Sclenteuch is currently being considered by the Energy Consents Unit but no decision has been made yet.

Save Straiton for Scotland has submitted objections to all 4 schemes. To find out more about the schemes and read the Save Straiton for Scotland objections, click on the ‘Windfarms around Straiton’ on the menu at the top of this page.

On all schemes, there is still time for individuals to object. You can cite the reasons given in our objections, or set out your concerns in your own words.

You can e-mail The Scottish Government’s Energy Consent Unit;

econsents_admin@gov.scot quoting;

• Ref ECU00002181 for Knockcronal
• Ref ECU00003392 for Carrick
• Ref ECU00002196 for Craiginmoddie
• Ref ECU00003318 for Sclenteuch

You can e-mail / write to your local planning authorities;

planning.development@south-ayrshire.gov.uk for Knockcronal, Carrick, Craiginmoddie and Sclenteuch.

Planning & Development

South Ayrshire Council

Wellington Square

Ayr

KA7 1DR

submittoplanning@east-ayrshire.gov.uk for Sclenteuch.

Planning and Economic Development

East Ayrshire Council

Opera House

8 John Finnie Street

Kilmarnock

KA1 1DD

You can e-mail / write to your MP:

allan.dorans.mp@parliament.uk

Allan Dorans MP

House of Commons

London

SW1A 0AA

You can e-mail / write to your MSP:

elena.whitham.msp@parliament.scot

Elena Whitham MSP

The Scottish Parliament

Edinburgh

EH99 1SP

You can e-mail / write to your local Councillors:

Straiton           

• iain.campbell@south-ayrshire.gov.uk   
• brian.connolly@south-ayrshire.gov.uk
• william.grant@south-ayrshire.gov.uk   

Dailly & Barr   

• Alec.Clark@south-ayrshire.gov.uk       
• Gavin.Scott@south-ayrshire.gov.uk     
• peter.henderson@south-ayrshire.gov.uk         

Waterside      

• drew.filson@east-ayrshire.gov.uk        
• jennifer.hogg@east-ayrshire.gov.uk     
• elaine.stewart@east-ayrshire.gov.uk    

Thank you for your help, and wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Kind regards,

The Save Straiton for Scotland Team

Applications have been lodged with the Scottish Government’s Energy Consent Unit for

• Knockcronal (the old Linfairn site which was withdrawn in 2018) by Statkraft for 9 x 200m turbines,
• Carrick by Scottish Power Renewables for 17 x 200m turbines and
• Craiginmoddie (the old Hadyard Hill Extension which was withdrawn in 2018) for 18 x 200m turbines. 

Following objections by South Ayrshire Council, community councils and others the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division are proposing to hold a public enquiry in the new year to determine whether they should be consented.

Knockcronal and Carrick are situated at the head of the Girvan valley some 4 to 5km from Straiton. Both will have significant impacts on the Girvan valley and the community of Straiton. Craiginmoddie to the south of Crosshill on private forestry land will have significant impacts on Dailly and the wider landscape of South West Scotland which is already dominated by wind farms both operational and in the planning process.

The main issues of concern are:

• 200m turbines on high ground will have a significant impact on the landscape. The South Ayrshire Wind Capacity Study which was revised in 2018 recommended that turbines over 130m could not be accommodated in this landscape.
• Knockcronal and Carrick are very close to the Merrick Wild Land Area and will impact significantly on the setting of the wild land designation by introducing man made and moving features in the landscape
• Residences in the Girvan Valley will have dominating views of Knockcronal and Carrick. Dailly village will have views of most of the turbines from Craiginmoddie which will dominate the views from the village.
• All wind farms are close to residences and the potential for noise and shadow flicker leading to a deterioration of the enjoyment of properties. This could be exaggerated in the case of the Girvan valley and the funneling effect of any noise. Low frequency noise is a feature of the increased height of the turbines and can lead to health issues. Low frequency noise is often not considered by the applicants.
• Craiginmoddie in particular has several residences close to the proposed wind farm with the prospect of construction work taking place in their water catchment area.
• These wind farms cannot be considered in isolation as there are others in the application stage which will contribute to the adverse impacts on communities.
• Scotland produces its electricity mainly from renewables with a gas fired station at Peterhead used as a backup when the wind does not blow. There is therefore no need for these wind farms to reduce carbon emissions.
• Scotland already produces enough electricity to meet targets from those wind farms which are operational, repowering of existing wind farms and those approved and yet to become operational.

Besides these wind farms there is a further application which will impact on Straiton. RES have lodged an application with the Energy Consents Unit for Sclenteuch wind farm which will be in the forests to the west of the Dersalloch wind farm. This is a re-application of the Keirs Hill wind farm which was rejected in 2018 and will consist of 9 x 200m turbines. This application has the potential to impact visually on the setting of Straiton, the landscape, and affect residences close to the wind farm. Waterside and Patna will also be affected. These applications should be considered along with other wind farm applications:

• Clauchrie 18 x 200m turbines in South Ayrshire in the Galloway Forest has gone to public enquiry and the reporter’s decision is awaited
• South Kyle 50 x 200m turbines to the south of Dalmellington is under construction
• North Kyle approx. 50 x 200m turbines consented and yet to be built
• Knockkippen 12 x 200m turbines to the north of Waterside
• Knockdar approx. 17 x 200m turbines south of Barr merging with the Markhill wind farm at Barrhill

You are invited to a meeting on Sunday 27th November at 2pm at the McCandlish Hall, Straiton to discuss planning applications for the proposed Knockcronal, Carrick and Craiginmoddie windfarms. All local residents and other interested parties are welcome to attend to find out more about the schemes and also other wind farm applications which are coming in the area.

It’s been a while since we’ve been able to meet so, all being well with current guidelines, we’ll be having our AGM on Sunday 5 December between 4 and 6pm in the McCandlish Hall in Straiton.
You are very welcome to join us.

Sadly wind farm developers are resurrecting old applications and sites in the vicinity. Come along and get an update on the current situation and help us protect our beautiful landscapes. As an extra incentive we’ll be serving, tea and coffee along with some delicious homebaking and sandwiches. We’ll also be having a raffle. Donations to this, or to our funds, are welcome as it is anticipated we will be commissioning expert reports from professionals to assist us in preparing our responses to applications.

On the same site as Linfairn, Statkraft are putting forward a shocking proposal for 12 turbines at 200m in height called Knockcronal. Shocking because Linfairn attracted in excess of 6.5 thousand objections, our MSPs, MP, and Councillors from all political parties were unanimous in their opposition to a wind farm in this location. A local opinion poll recorded 92.5% of those taking part (60%) were opposed to a wind farm at Linfairn.

It would appear that the Developer is not taking local opinion into consideration. As the sheer level of objections show it is not just locals who want to preserve the unique beauty of the upper Girvan valley; objections came from across the UK and the world from those who love and appreciate this beautiful corner of South Ayrshire.

Click here to go to the Developer’s website page where you can find links to the full Scoping Report. If you encounter any problems the full report with figures can be accessed here.

A quick update on potential developments which could affect us. There are five proposals which could have an impact on the quality of life and the livelihoods of the parish of Straiton and the surrounding villages.

1. Gold Mining in the Galloway Forest Park. GreenOre Gold plc and Koza Ltd (Turkey’s largest gold mining company) have been conducting test drilling a few miles south of Straiton. The environmental damage that might occur if mining were permitted could be tremendous. Huge amounts of rock and stone are dug away for tiny amounts of gold. The company reported that they found 3.8 grammes of gold per tonne about 3 metres below the surface. There are 28.3 grammes in one ounce so this gives you an indication of how many tonnes have to be removed to find just one ounce.
2. Wind turbine by Red Bridge on the B741 between Straiton and Dalmellington. Clean Earth Energy Ltd, a company based in Cornwall are considering applying for a single turbine adjacent to Dersalloch. We believe this could set a precedent for extending wind developments by other companies.
3. Skeldon wind farm. ABEI Energy are proposing to apply for five turbines at a tip height of 125m near Hollybush/Skeldon. Details of how this could impact us are not clear yet.
4. Clauchrie wind farm. Located south of Barr in the Galloway Forest Park. ScottishPower Renewables have produced a scoping report for a development of 18 turbines at a height of 200m. They would be clearly seen from the walks around Straiton and have a detrimental impact on the Merrick Area of Wild Land.
5. Carrick wind farm. Again located in the Galloway Forest Park and proposed by ScottishPower Renewables. Details of the amount of turbines have not been finalised but we assume they will also be 200m high. The area covered by this development is vast and the met mast has been erected at the edge of Linfern Loch a few miles south of Straiton. In the past wind farms applications have been for 25 years but both these last two proposals are in perpetuity.

We will be monitoring the above carefully to see how they might impact us and the surrounding communities.

It was great to see some new faces at our AGM and Afternoon Tea last Sunday. A friendly and relaxed affair.

Lala opened the meeting with an update. Since 2013 Save Straiton has fought six wind farms and defeated five with Linfairn the last to be withdrawn. Sadly Dersalloch, which started in 2007, was too far in the pipeline for us to influence the outcome. After a successful stint of over four years as Chair, Lala stood down. Glen Heggs took over as Chair but Lala intends to stay on the Committee.

Glen thanked Lala for leading Save Straiton in a focused and professional manner. We’re seen as a responsible organisation. So much so that we were invited to participate as an equal party in the Public Local Inquiry (PLI) for Kiers Hill. The Reporter recommended refusal and Lala, assisted by Whirly Marshall, played a major role. Tom Dowman presented Lala with a bouquet in appreciation for her hard work, vision and leadership skills.

Currently we are in the fortunate position of not having a wind farm or other unsuitable development to oppose. Despite this the Committee is recommending that Save Straiton be maintained for when and if any proposals arise needing our expertise. This could be in a couple of years as Scottish Power Renewables have erected a met mast at Linfern Loch which can only be with the intention of developing a wind farm in Forestry Commission ground. We’ll also be supporting the formation of a Galloway National Park and working with the Community Council to protect the Parish of Straiton and surrounding communities. It was therefore agreed that Save Straiton for Scotland continue with the following team:

Chair: Glen Heggs
Vice Chair: Bea Holden
Treasurer: Chris Johnson
Committee members: Sandy Millar, Tom Dowman, Lala Burchall Nolan

Chris Johnson gave an overview of the financial situation. We have £3,073 in the bank which will be kept as a fighting fund for the future. He suggested that those who had made regular contributions to Save Straiton might consider cancelling the arrangements in the meantime.

We would stress that it’s important to let us know if you hear of any development proposals which might affect us and our immediate communities. We’re aware of the gold mining proposals in the Forest Park and that developers RES have retained an option on the land at Keirs Hill and are keeping an eye on these. The remit of SSfS is to defend against any and all inappropriate development that would seek to undermine the uniquely special landscape, environment, heritage and ecosystem which define Straiton and its environs. 

We believe the formation of the Galloway National Park would benefit this area and recommend that people sign up for £5 to be kept informed and show their support. To find out more click here

Finally, our raffle raised £118 which will be donated to the McCandlish Hall towards new facilities and £80 was raised for Save Straiton from the sale of James Fullarton’s prints and other paintings.

You are cordially invited to join us for Afternoon Tea on Sunday 3rd March in the McCandlish Hall in Straiton. Our AGM will start at 2.30pm and Afternoon Tea will be served at 3pm should you wish to come along later.

We look forward to seeing you there!

After a five and a half year battle with WilloWind, we are relieved and delighted to report that they have withdrawn their application to develop Linfairn wind farm. 

In their letter to the DPEA, WilloWind’s legal team admitted that “further data that was obtained earlier this year has led them to conclude that the scheme cannot be realised”. As many of our supporters already know, the further data in question was noise data – work they were forced to undertake at the insistence of SSfS after our painstaking analysis revealed non-compliant methods and an inaccurate baseline assessment.

Apart from the noise issues we firmly believed the scheme was completely unacceptable for many other reasons: the immense and oppressive impact on the landscape of the upper Girvan valley; its proximity to neighbouring homes and the devastating consequences it would have on those living in them, including the nuisance of light flicker; and the impacts on ecology, tourism, traffic and water quality.

SSfS is immensely grateful to the thousands of people from all over the world who objected to this appalling proposal and to everyone who campaigned, raised funds and supported us in our long struggle. 

Join us for Afternoon Tea at 3pm in the McCandlish Hall, Straiton and enjoy some delicious home baking and get all the latest news on the campaign. If you wish you can come along earlier, at 2.30pm, and join us for our AGM.

We’ve had many successes over the past five years and hopefully, with one last push, we’ll defeat the Linfairn application at the Public Inquiry.

All donations would be gratefully received; we intend to employ an expert witness at the Inquiry.

Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel, 301 Argyle St, Glasgow.
Friday 22nd September 2017 at 7pm. Tickets: £7.50

“Bigger is Better and Scotland’s stepping stone to the future”

According to the wind energy industry “Bigger is Better”, because bigger turbines will generate more electricity and compensate financially for the recent reduction in government subsidies.

There are around 3000 wind turbines across Scotland. Inadequate government control of the distances between turbines and homes has already allowed developers to unintentionally degrade the health of many victims, and even drive families out of their homes. There is also clear scientific evidence that even bigger turbines will increase their existing sound power emissions, along with the accompanying infrasound and potential adverse health impacts on those affected. By way of example, the two very large ‘test’ turbines erected by Scottish and Southern Electricity at Hunterston in North Ayrshire have grossly affected the health of people living on the Isle of Cumbrae and in Fairlie, up to 3 km from the turbines. 17 people including 2 children, all complain of similar symptoms. Their GPs can do nothing to help them as their ‘condition’ is not recognised by public health.

Similar symptoms such as loss of balance, nausea, loss of coordination, a pressure in the ear, thumping in the head or chest, urinary and bowel incontinence, epistaxis (high volume nosebleeds) are already being reported from people living in close proximity to turbines and windfarms in other areas of Scotland, UK and elsewhere in the world. Common to all “sufferers” is that the symptoms recede when they move away from the turbines. It is believed that these symptoms are caused by the infrasound emission, which is very low frequency sound.

So, the real problem with wind turbine noise is not audible noise; it is the infrasound emission, and as yet there are neither standards nor planning guidance to deal with it.

This is already a public health catastrophe, which cannot be merely attributed to victims “disliking turbines” or any other pseudo-psychological reasons, or “non-acoustic factors”, as often proposed by the wind energy industry to explain reported adverse health symptoms.

The speakers at the Glasgow Seminar are Professor Mariana Alves Pereria and Dr John Yelland, both acknowledged experts in this highly specialised field of science, which up to now has been largely ignored, to the cost of an ever-increasing number wind farm noise victims.

The Seminar will be of interest to: Anyone Living Close to Turbines, Wind Energy Developers, Public Health Protection Officials, Environmental Health Officers, General Practitioners, Councillors and Council Officers, Members of the Scottish and Westminster Parliaments, and indeed anyone seeking to understand the truth about wind turbine noise.

Further information and registration details are at:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-seminar-on-wind-turbine-noise-tickets-37006124314?aff=es2

This seminar has been arranged by Winds of Justice and a member of the Save Straiton team will be attending.

Our June 2017 newsletter is out now, click here to download a pdf version.

On Wednesday 28 June at 6pm the Pre Enquiry Meeting will be held in the McCandlish Hall. This is a procedural meeting to set a date and location for the Enquiry and various other matters. If you can manage to come along we’d love to see you. Please email Liz Kerr Liz.Kerr@gov.scot to let her know you will be attending so she has an idea of numbers.

Next month we’re having an Afternoon Tea in the Hall. Keep Sunday 23 July free between 2 and 4 for a glass of bubbly, home-made lemonade and some mouth-watering baking.

Many thanks to all the folk who turned up in their droves to support speakers at the Council Planning meeting yesterday. The spontaneous round of applause when the Chair of the Planning Panel announced that Brookfield’s Knockskae proposal was refused permission was heartfelt. Especially as some of those who spoke out would feel the full impacts of this monstrous development on a daily basis, affecting their everyday activities and dominating their lives. Your support made all the difference. Thank you.

Next up we have our Rumble in the Jumble. Get down to the village hall this Saturday between 10 and 4 to enjoy a good old fashioned jumble sale…and more! For those averse to jumble there’ll be stalls offering plants, jams, crafts, delicious home baking plus we’ve a great tombola and teas/light lunch will be served in the Reading Room. (so called from 1912 when the room was furnished with newspapers for residents to read without actually buying them).

We’ll look forward to seeing you there!
(plus we’ll even supply a newspaper for you to read)

The beautiful Girvan valley would be completely disfigured by turbines as the wireframe illustration shows.

Please come along to support us at the Planning Meeting and show the Panel you care about our village and our community. Several residents of Straiton will be speaking about their concerns over the pollution of private water supplies, shadow flicker, noise disturbance and the destruction of the peaceful, natural setting of our conservation villages. By attending, your support will be greatly appreciated and will make a difference.

The meeting is from 10am – 12 noon on Wednesday 19 April in Country Buildings, Ayr.

Contact us if you require a lift, or if you can offer space in your car. Leave a comment below, your details will not be shown.

We look forward to seeing you on the 19th.

Vintage, Collectables, Crafts, Retro, Jumble, delicious home baking and teas or you can try your luck in the tombola. There’s something for everyone at our fundraising event in Straiton.

10am – 4pm McCandlish Hall, Straiton

If you fancy taking a table yourself contact Philippa at phillybaird@btopenworld.com