Quite a number of documents (not yet all) are now available on East Ayrshire’s planning website (click here). Here, to keep you busy, are some of the most important: the full Environmental Statement (over 500 pages) and three PDF documents which give all the viewpoints:

• Glenmount Environmental Statement (4 Mb)
• Viewpoints 1-9 (15.4 Mb)
• Viewpoints 10-19 (17.6 Mb)
• Viewpoints 20-28 (17.6 Mb)

If your computer is likely to crash downloading and viewing these large PDFs, then have a look at a selection of the viewpoints below. We have taken screenshots and uploaded some of the key viewpoints into a gallery. We haven’t chosen all the viewpoints: several of those in the Glenmount submission show trees and shrubs, and surprise surprise! – you can’t seen the wind farm from behind a bush! But as you will see below, you can see it from all over Ayrshire and beyond, and you can see clearly that it will destroy some of our most beautiful countryside.

We agree with the East and South Ayrshire Landscape Wind Capacity Studies, which say clearly that planners should “Maintain the rugged scenery and sense of wildness associated with Loch Doon and the Carrick Hills by directing wind farm development away from this landscape and ensuring that development sited in surrounding landscapes avoid significant impact on its setting and experiential qualities.” The same studies also say that there is “no scope for larger development typologies to be sited in this landscape” and that “no turbines over 20 metres should be considered for this landscape.” How clear does the advice have to be?

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

Just as we were dusting ourselves down, recovering from the horror that was Linfairn Windfarm, Keirs Hill sneaked in with a festive treat for us to digest over Christmas.  The timing didn’t deter our supporters who managed rustle up  another 3000 objections (without having to bribe locals with electricity discounts, or pay people to canvas strangers in the streets of Ayr)!  Now, as expected, Glenmount (RWE Npower) have come in with their Section 36 application, clearly desperate to cash in on the feeding frenzy before policy changes make the process less lucrative for them.

Time is extremely tight for this application, and we only have until 24th February 2014 **STOP PRESS: the DEADLINE IS EXTENDED to 10th March** to submit representations to the ECDU.  SSfS have therefore prepared a how to object page to try to simplify the process for those who wish to make a considered objection.

The planning documents are not available online yet, although they are in the McCandlish Hall in Straiton and should soon be available on the East Ayrshire Council planning website.  STOP PRESS: click here to see the key documents and key images. The non technical summary is available on the RWE website. The summary however shows that very little has actually changed from the original scoping documents (the turbines have reduced from 22 to 19). Some highlights which RWE point out are below and might just give you an indication of how they view the area they intend industrialising.

• ‘The .. site falls within a..locally designated Sensitive Landscape Character
  Area (SLCA).. [and].. would result in a localised significant impact..’
• ‘The local area could not be described as a popular tourism location’
• ‘There are also aspirations for dark sky tourism to be developed in
  the area .. [and] the development of Loch Doon .. although these aspirations
  are so far unfulfilled.’
• ‘Construction traffic [will travel] through the communities of Kirkmichael and
  Straiton … will last for approximately 24 months, and will peak during months 2 to 5 (93 vehicle movements per day).  A total of 152 abnormal load movements will  be generated over months 15 to 20 in the delivery of large turbine components to site.  [and] will be accompanied by police escorts to warn and control external traffic. Significant driver delay and community effects are forecast during the construction phase if unmitigated.’

  .
  There is plenty more information within these documents, clearly designed to shock locals and tourists alike.  Notable of course is yet another developer making a determined effort to ignore the SNH commissioned  East and South Ayrshire Wind Capacity Studies (2013) which explicitly state (yet again) that the site area  cannot accommodate any large scale turbines.

  If you are as horrified as us by this proposal please  Object Now.  SSfS will prepare a more detailed submission however please, as always, send us any additional comments or concerns you may have and we will ensure they get included.

Bill Steven, Chair of Save Straiton for Scotland, delivered another devastating blow for the developers circling Straiton and the surrounding villages.

Now that the festivities are out the way for another year, SSfS wanted to have an opportunity to get everyone together for a wee glass of wine (or a cup of tea or coffee!) and a catchup to discuss the latest proposal at Keirs Hill.  With less than 2 weeks to go until the objection deadline, this is the last chance to ask any questions, pick up some additional postcards for friends and family, and reflect on the true horror of what is being proposed just over the hill. We look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible!