An energy firm has complained that “tiny” groups of windfarm protesters are unfairly blocking developments.
Vattenfall says the Scottish planning system is the biggest potential risk to investment in onshore wind projects. But last night the firm’s claims were attacked by anti-windfarm campaigners – who said opposition to the machines is growing all the time.
Vattenfall – which plans to build offshore turbines near Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire coast – focused on land-based wind in a report to Holyrood’s economy, energy and tourism committee. “Whilst not wishing to belittle the importance of financial support and adequate network availability, the biggest potential risk to the development of onshore wind in Scotland is the planning system,” the report stated.
It described an inadequately resourced planning system, adding: “Unfortunately, there are too many examples of decision-makers across Scotland being swayed by a tiny vocal minority thus denying a majority who support a proposal any influence in the planning system.”
Vattenfall said dogged opposition by six protesters to the Edinbane windfarm on Skye went against the wishes of hundreds of local people and delayed the scheme by several years.
The company is part of a group behind the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) in the North Sea off the coast of Aberdeen.
Its location on the horizon near Donald Trump’s Aberdeenshire golf course prompted claims from the US tycoon that he could stop his investment. The energy firm did not mention the high-profile planning wrangle, but added: “The EOWDC will prove strategically important to the success of Scotland’s offshore wind sector.”
The tycoon’s head of development, George Sorial, reacted angrily to Vattenfall’s submission last night.
He said: “The opposition will only increase until these proposals are totally eliminated. Wind power projects have failed throughout the globe – Scotland will be no different. We intend to continue leading the growing opposition against this insanity and the ridiculous wind power goals envisioned by the Scottish Government.”
Highland windfarm protester Denise Davis, of Kiltarlity, Inverness-shire, said: “It is not a tiny minority – there are well over 600 campaign groups across Britain. Vattenfall’s comment illustrates that the opposition to windfarms is growing and is becoming a real threat. It proves that the opposition is strong and is not a small minority – small minorities don’t block things.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said renewables developments are only built where the impacts have been found to be acceptable.