Protesters looking for a judicial review into plans for a controversial windfarm on Shetland have launched a crowdsourced campaign to fund their effort.
The Sustainable Shetland group are looking to challenge an appeal by Scottish Governnment against a decision to overturn consent for the Viking Energy Windfarm on the island.
The group are looking to raise £20,000 by the end of March for their bid to prevent MSPs overturning Lady Clark of Calton’s ruling against the 103 turbine windfarm.
The campaign, through Crowdfunder, has already picked up more than £3,500 in donations since starting at the weekend.
“We were amazed and humbled by the financial support we received to fund our Judicial Review last year,” said the group’s chairman, Frank Hay.
“This shows a great strength of feeling against the Viking Energy Windfarm among our members and indeed the wider Shetland community.
“We estimate that we may need to raise as much as a further £40,000 to fund our challenge to the Ministers’ appeal.
“Wind farms are a national issue, and there are many throughout the UK who feel strongly that in some cases ‘big energy’ interests are damaging our environment rather than improving it. We hope that people around the country will show their support for our cause, which has nationwide implications regarding large scale wind farm developments and the protection of breeding bird species.”
The £556million Viking project would see 103 turbines being built on the island. Last year Lady Clark ruled only a licence holder under the terms of the Electricity Act 1989 could apply to build a project, and that granting consent for the farm had been wrong.
Concerns had been raised about the impact of the windfarm plans on Shetland’s whimbrel population.
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