Thanks to Annie Muir for her comment yesterday – she spotted an eagle whilst on the Dyke walk near Straiton (you can see her comment at the end of our wildlife page). The mortality statistics of eagles and other raptors killed by wind turbines in the USA are horrifying, according to a Guardian article: in the US, More than 573,000 birds are killed by the country’s windfarms each year, including 83,000 hunting birds such as hawks, falcons and eagles, according to an estimate published in March in the peer-reviewed Wildlife Society Bulletin. And no windfarm has yet been prosecuted. Read the article here: www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/may/14/us-windfarms-eagle-deaths

Please feel free to write a letter or two to the RSPB: we would love to know their views on this article.

View from the proposed Glenmount site looking south towards Derclach and Finlas Lochs

For those of you who missed the exhibition in the village hall about the proposed Glenmount wind farm, the information boards from that exhibition are now available here as a PDF download: Glenmount Exhibition Boards, or from the company’s website page on Glenmount.

These are informative: they include detailed maps of the turbine placings which are currently proposed. The photomontages which we saw at the exhibition are not included.

Fewer and fewer people are coming to holiday cottages in the beautiful Stinchar Valley.

And a main factor is the spread of wind turbines in South Carrick.

That’s what a rural resident told a South Ayrshire Council planning committee.

William Hair said: “Bookings are few and far between for holiday cottages – a marked contrast with years past.”

Click here to read the full story in the Ayrshire Post by Edwin Lawrence.

At a recent meeting between Bill Steven, Chair of Save Stration for Scotland, and RWE Renewables it was confirmed that RWE intend to reach the access road to Glenmount through the village. This could mean that not only would the actual turbines be transported through the conservation village but construction traffic as well. As yet it is not known if this traffic would come through Kirkmichael or, more likely, Crosshill.

RWE npower are holding an exhibition in Stration in the McCandlish Hall between 2pm and 8pm on Friday 17th May and on Saturday 18th at the Dalmellington Community Centre between 10am and 4pm.
Pictured above is Loch Finlas which the proposed wind farm will border; in the distance is Loch Doon. The developers show access to the development will come from the Newton Stewart road and, judging from the map supplied, will cut off before the bridge crossing the Girvan. How the construction traffic would get to this point is not shown.

According to the Cumnock Chronicle,

“Plans for a wind farm development in south-east Ayrshire will go on display at two public exhibitions later this month. RWE npower renewables is hosting the events at venues in Damellington and Straiton to give the community a chance to find out more about their proposed development at Glenmount, three miles to the south-west of Dalmellington.”

Click here to read the whole article

Site of the proposed Keirs Hill turbines, above the Doon valley south of Patna.
photo: Angus and Mary Hogg

Bill Steven Chairman of Save Straiton for Scotland and Whirly Marshall, Planning Lead, met with RES on Friday 3rd May to confirm the detail on major changes to the proposed Sclenteuch wind farm development. RES are proposing to reduce the number of turbines from 33 to 17 and remove all turbines from Cloncaird Moor, Sclenteuch Moor and Lamdoughty Hill. The new proposed development will concentrate around Keirs Hill in East Ayrshire. No turbines are being proposed within the South Ayrshire footprint. The wind farm will be renamed Keirs Hill and will lie 3.7 km north east of Straiton, 4.2 km north west of Dalmellington and 1km south of Patna. Access to the new proposed development will be via the A713 , Ayr to Dalmellington road and will enter the proposed site just before Waterside. We are waiting on further detail and formal confirmation from RES with regards the change and we will publish on receipt.
Consultation will continue with all communities involved including Straiton. The proposed turbines will be 149m high and RES are currently producing a 3D computer aided visualisation tool to enable individuals to have a clear picture on the impact the proposed turbines would have. With regards timescales RES will be looking to formally submit a planning application during 2013, full details will follow. This is a significant change to the original proposal, however the new proposed wind farm development from RES will remain a major concern for many people and Save Straiton for Scotland will engage with all affected communities and continue to support those communities. Save Straiton for Scotland will continue to challenge all developments around Straiton and we will continue to bring pressure on all developers to reappraise their proposals. Save Straiton for Scotland remains strong in its belief that our area must continue to say…..No To Giant Industrial Wind Turbines….regardless of the number.

Click here for a revised PDF map of all the wind farms (8.7Mb)
or here for a revised JPG map (3.5Mb)

Writing letters and sending emails to politicians can really make a difference. Here are some quotes from a couple.

“Many thanks for your letter regarding the proposals for a series of wind farms near Straiton…I completely agree that these proposals must be scrapped. I agree wholeheartedly with your concerns about the separation distance between the turbines and your home. ..if you would like to provide me with more details about your individual case, then I would be delighted to write to both the local authorities and WilloWind, to urge them to consider the impacts on your property.” Struan Stevenson MEP

“…have questioned whether the current situation, which is mainly driven by developers, is truly sustainable in the long term. I do not believe that it is and Straiton is perhaps an example of that.” “…thereby avoiding a concentration in communities like Straiton. I have asked the Energy Minister to consider this on many occasions and will take this opportunity to raise this matter with him again referring to the Straiton situation.” Jim Hume MSP

Please keep writing and emailing, it works! The addresses are on the Lobby page