Shona Gossip
Campaigners were celebrating last night after plans for an electrical
substation linked to a controversial offshore windfarm were rejected.
Developers had described the plant, which would have been built on a former
landfill site at Blackdog , as “vital” for the 11-turbine project in
Aberdeen Bay.
But councillors blocked the proposals amid fears about the health of residents.
Their decision represents a huge setback for the £230million European
Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC), a partnership between Vattenfall,
Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group and Technip.
The developers will now have to decide whether to appeal against the
councillors’ ruling or submit plans for an alternative site.
Last night, the decision which was made after a series of surveys uncovered
traces of asbestos and other contaminants on the land, was described as a
“victory for commonsense” by villagers.
Trump International, which has objected to the turbine scheme because the
structures would be within sight of its golf resort at Menie, claimed the
windfarm project was as “good as dead”.
US-based billionaire Donald Trump took to Twitter to congratulate the
campaigners, saying they had “defeated the substation, stopping inefficient
and ugly wind turbines”.
Edna Booth, the pensioner who spearheaded the Blackdog residents’ campaign,
said the group was ready to do battle again if the developers appealed.
EOWDC spokesman Iain Todd did not rule out the possibility of challenging
the council’s decision last night and said the team would consider all
their options.
He said: “We are extremely disappointed. We shall look very carefully at
the formal planning reasons given for the decision and take it from there.”
Members of Aberdeenshire Council’s Formartine area committee debated the
substation proposals for more than an hour yesterday, hearing
representations from both Vattenfall and John Campbell QC, representing the
Trump Organisation, and Blackdog residents.
Mr Todd urged councillors to back the plans, which he said would not only
boost the north-east’s economy but put it at the centre of Scotland’s
future plans for renewables.
He also stressed it was not “unusual” to find asbestos on brown-field sites
such as a former landfill, and that strict protocols set by the Health and
Safety Executive would be followed if any further traces were discovered.
However, Mr Campbell questioned the risks of approving the substation,
adding: “You are being asked to grant planning permission for the
excavation of a former landfill site that contains asbestos in a village of
82 houses.”
Applause and tears greet rejection
There were tears of joy and applause when councillors rejected plans for
the substation yesterday.
Nearly the whole of Blackdog banded together to oppose the plans, citing
concerns about heavy traffic, loss of amenities, noise disturbance and
access to the beach.
But their main concern was for their health, as they repeatedly claimed
there was asbestos in the former landfill site, which was confirmed after
councillors deferred the application in April to allow further surveys to
be carried out. After the decision, pensioner Edna Booth said the group
were “chuffed to bits” that their lobbying had been successful.
She said: “It’s a victory for commonsense, but we were worried as we sat
listening to the councillors go through all the for and against arguments.
“We’ve won the first fight, but we’ll have another one on our hands if
Vattenfall appeals to the Scottish Government to overturn the decision.”
Fellow opponent Nicola Black added: “I was really encouraged about what
they said about the asbestos. As they said, the levels are unknown, why
disturb the unknown? It’s better left alone.
“For a village that’s been so ignored, we’ve got nothing, we’ve done well.
I’m so happy.”
US billionaire Donald Trump had also opposed the substation, as part of his
campaign against the 11-turbine windfarm.
He argued that it would destroy the views from his nearby golf resort at Menie.
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