Exclusive by Tom Gordon
WESTMINSTER has launched an unprecedented legal action against the SNP
Government to scupper a renewable energy project – and potentially bankrupt
a family business.
Through the Advocate General for Scotland, the Ministry of Defence (MoD)
has raised a test case at the Court of Session to try to block a windfarm
supported by SNP ministers.
The MoD claims the three 900kW turbines at Monymusk would interfere with
its coastal radar station at RAF Buchan near Peterhead, more than 50km to
the north east.
Hillfarmer Steve Clark, who has already spent £130,000 of his own money and
as much again in government grants on the project, now faces financial ruin
through legal bills and delays.
He says that unless the windfarm is working by March 2017, it will be too
late to qualify for vital renewable energy subsidies being phased out by
the Conservative government.
Clark, 51, from Kenmay, said the MoD had waited until the last possible day
to bring the test case, then sent sheriff officers to his door with a writ,
reducing his wife Michelle to tears.
He told the Sunday Herald: “It’s been an absolute disaster. We’re on our
knees with this.
“My wife has struggled with her blood pressure and when the sheriff
officers arrived she was in tears and said, ‘We can’t take much more of this’.
“There’s been four years and about £260,000 spent on this and now we’re
almost back at the beginning again. We were just about ready to start
building. Now local contractors have been laid off. “It’s been devastating.
It would have kept people employed for a year.
“It’s going to be an awful waste of money by the two governments. It’s a
test case for the MoD against the Scottish Government and we’re caught in
the middle of it.”
The Clarks’ windfarm would see £600,000 given to a local community trust
over 20 years.
However the MoD argue the “cumulative effect” of the 74m-high turbines and
others nearby would create false alarms and other “anomalies”, making it
harder to detect aircraft.
“The strategic importance of Buchan is such that any degradation to the
radar picture would … impact the MoD’s ability to protect the integrity of
UK airspace,” the military warned.
Aberdeenshire Council refused the Clarks planning permission last year, but
they won an appeal after a Scottish Government reporter said the radar
issue could be resolved through a “mitigation scheme” – something the MoD
dispute.
After an initial legal hearing last month, another is due before the Inner
House of the Court of Session next April, pending a £42,000 mitigation
survey at Monymusk.
Clark, who keeps a herd of Aberdeen Angus, said he was inspired to start
the windfarm after hearing SNP Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead
urge farmers to diversify into renewables.
He said: “We would never have entered into this if we had thought there was
any possibility of this happening. Farming is almost impossible. We try to
diversify but what else is there to do? Our farm is up to 1000 ft. It’s 188
acres and 80 acres is hill.
“It’s all politics. That bloody MoD with the Tory government behind them
can spend what it takes and drag it out until the renewables certificates
run out.
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“We’ve written to every minister in the Scottish Government and the only
one that’s been any support is [energy minister] Fergus Ewing. But Nicola
Sturgeon never got back to us and Richard Lochhead, him that planted the
bloody seed in our heads, never got back to us.”
Both the MoD and Scottish Government said it would be inappropriate to
comment because of the ongoing legal proceedings.
11 Comments
Abigail Macfee · October 4, 2015 at 8:09 pm
What Steve Clark fails to mention is that his main occupation and business is building and joinery, not farming. He took a gamble to try and put 3 turbines next to one of Aberdeenshire’s most iconic hills, Bennachie. He can hardly complain when his gamble doesn’t come off.
may hurry · October 7, 2015 at 5:46 pm
nothing to do with Westminster, you moron, its the Secretary of State for Defence, you should’nt take on the big boys if you can’t cope, got no sympathy.,
steve · October 8, 2015 at 9:54 am
Oh dear poor greedy farmer got lead by his nose into the empty trough by the carpetbagging winfram companies. Anybody with an ounce of intelligence would know about the MOD radar issues. Of course most of these farmers have little of that as they have inhereted most of their land and wealth.