An announcement that a long-running planning saga has come to an end in Ayreshire has been warmly welcomed by my colleagues in Scotland – here’s a note our Head of Planning and Development in Scotland, Aedan Smith, sent me:
Generally speaking, we want to see more renewable energy development, including more windfarms. We desperately need them to help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the damaging effect climate change is having on birds and wildlife across the world. Usually they pose no significant threat to wildlife - but just occasionally one would be so damaging to wildlife that we feel we must oppose it. The windfarm planned for Waterhead Moor, in Ayrshire, by Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) was one such proposal. It would have involved more than 20 turbines right on top of a Special Protection Area (an internationally important wildlife site) for hen harriers.
Hen harriers have been really struggling. They are the most persecuted bird of prey in the UK. The few remaining strongholds, like this one in Ayrshire, are therefore critically important and need to be protected.
A male hen harrier - picture RSPBImages
We have been trying to persuade SSE to drop this one for over 7 years. That they now have is a credit to them as a company and to the renewables industry.
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