The health question (Allen Fraser)
Viking Energy started and then cancelled its health impact assessment – it was only because Sustainable Shetland made this fact public that the “Taylor report” was commissioned.
From the Taylor report it is easy to understand why Viking Energy abandoned the HIA. Now Viking Energy is telling its paymasters in the Shetland Charitable Trust that the Taylor report is irrelevant – they would say that wouldn’t they?
As well as detrimental effects on people’s health there is more and more evidence coming in from across the country to show that prices of houses in windfarm areas are falling.
Dwellings in Shetland lie within range of 70 of the 103 Viking Energy industrial-size turbines. If you are one of those who live within 2km of these massive machines you should now think seriously about the affect these machines are likely to have on your family’s health and the value of your property.
Perhaps you should also ask why there has been no comment from any of the 22 SIC councillors or Shetland’s MP and MSP? Don’t they care about the health of all those who will be living within the Viking windfarm?
Allen Fraser
Meal,
Hamnavoe,
Burra.
Brian Smith
The answer to your question is ‘No’, Alan. As Hurree Singh would say, the charitableness is not terrific.
ian tinkler
Health issues caused by the close proximity of turbines to dwellings are highlighted by the many references in Dr Sarah Taylor’s report. We have now impartial and peer reviewed scientific evidence that living too close (less than 2 kilometres) to large turbines is a risk to health. It is no surprise that pro VE councillors in Shetland Island Council and the SCT will continue to promote and commit funds to Viking Energy without any care or thought to those whom will have their health damaged and lives blighted by this project. I think most would regard this absolutely typical of this pro Viking Cabal; however Dr Sarah Taylor’s report is profoundly important and of great relevance to the future of VE and those living within this wind farm. It is now known beyond any reasonable doubt that health of many will be put at risk by the Viking Energy project. In the sad and perhaps tragic consequence of someone living under a turbine developing illness such as Clinical Depression, from a legal viewpoint, Viking Energy will in all probability be liable in Law.
Sue Wailoo
“Northern isles MP Alistair Carmichael expressed his delight at his fellow Liberal Democrat’s decision to back island wind farms, pointing out he had lobbied hard behind the scenes for this to happen.”
This comment was reported in the Shetland News coverage of the coalition government’s decision to subsidise wind factories even more. These funds come out of the already hard pressed public purse for the benefit of the cartel of privatised energy suppliers, one of whom (Scottish and Southern) is a major player in the Viking wind project. They do not let anything like public health concerns get in the way of their profits and neither it seems do Mr Carmichael, his party and government let alone Shetland Charitable Trust.
Brian Smith
That’s Alistair!
Billy Fox
I will try to resist this as a call to arms.
I believe my position on this has been made clear over these last few years but I have no problem restating it briefly.
The Viking Energy windfarm is inappropriate in location and scale for Shetland, an interconnector connection to the mainland will, in my opinion, never be a viable commercial proposition and we should be focussing on renewables fit for scale and for Shetland only. The NINES project is in place to provide that.
The Shetland Charitable Trust’s reaction to the ‘Taylor Report’ is disappointing but not surprising, it mirrors the attitude that has been taken from day one and the blatant disregard they hold towards the Shetland public on this particular issue, the change in governance has not altered that.
No great surprise either on Alistair Carmichael’s statement, we always knew he was lobbying behind the scenes from day one in like vein to his Scottish Parliamentary colleague.
David Allan
Dear Billy Fox,
In regards to your comment on the NINES project. This project will not be suitable for an awful lot of houses here in Shetland unless they are still on the old Shetland tarriff for their electric as the SSE do not have a solution to get this in to all households especially if they are on a Domestic Economy tariff which a lot of households are on nowadays. They dont have a solution yet and wont for the foreseeable future and I was supposed to get it installed within 2 to 3 weeks time.
Billy Fox
Dear David,
You are correct the NINES project is not without its difficulties, however as a direction of travel it is, in my view, preferable to the industrialisation of our landscape. Bear in mind it is a mixture of wind to electricity and heat as well as smart grid technology and storage heating. I think the big battery is now out of the picture, at least for the time being.
Once the spectre of Viking Energy and an interconnector link is finally kicked into touch that should bring full focus to bear on an island solution. The sooner we rid ourselves of the negative influence of the VE fantasy the better.
John Tulloch
Billy,
Would you expect that if Shetlanders vote “YES” in the referendum the project would be more likely to go ahead than if they voted “NO”?
What would you expect to happen if Shetland attained Falklands/Faroese-style autonomy and local politicians – MPs – took democratic control of the charitable trust and also had to face the electorate at the ballot box?
At present it appears you i.e. the SIC are “going to stay in the family of local authorities in scotland” and are thus depending on the Scots to reverse a decision to park their dirty “green” laundry well out of sight from Edinburgh and the Highlands?
Stella Winks
What a pity Mr. Carmichael didn’t take note of Islanders’ wishes with regards the VE scheme and instead ‘lobbied hard behind the scenes!’ to try and make it happen. What specific lobbying and to whom does he refer to please? Can he define the actions he felt necessary to take despite and contrary to the huge public opposition to the VE ‘scheme’ by the Shetland voters?
Shetland is shafted from all directions on this one it seems…….
Let’s hope for some common decency and justice from the judicial review!
ian Tinkler
The Judicial Review may help. The Law can be a very strange animal. However compensation for damaged health is almost boundless, worth £millions and with legal costs £millions more, all coming from VEs speculative profits. Thank goodness for no win no fee legal action, after the recent Dr Sarah Taylor’s report Prima Facia?! These actions will not half cost VE.
Ian Tinkler
Judge rules against Viking Energy. Lady Clarke found, THE Scottish government has failed to take proper account of its obligations under a key piece of European nature legislation when it gave the go-ahead for the 103 turbine Viking Energy wind farm Lady Clark also found that consent should not have been given to Viking Energy Partnership, as the applicant had no licence to generate electricity. Time for Ratter and Wills to go, they are a luxury Shetland cannot afford. If they have an ounce of decency they should apologies and resign from the Charitable Trust forthwith.