By Helen Mcall
Villagers in Leadhills are ready to take on the local landowner and the
Scottish Government to fight for a better future.
They are waiting to see which the government backs – their move for a
community land buyout, or a new windfarm.
And they are asking: “Is this windfarm plan a cynical ploy by landowners to
scupper land reform?”
They say if the windfarm gets approval the land buyout could be “dead in
the water”.
Exactly two years ago the community announced it intended to pursue a
community buyout of Leadhills Estate under land reform legislation.
The estate – owned by a Trust with Lord Hopetoun as one of the trustees –
is used for shooting, and the local people believed it could be better used
to attract tourists to the conservation village.
Villagers say that the Scottish Government was encouraging them in their plans.
But within months landowners, including Buccleuch and Hopetoun Estates were
putting forward provisional proposals to the Scotish Government for a
160-turbine windfarm, on land which was partly Leadhills Estate.
Those proposals were later tweaked into a 140-turbine windfarm. Now there
are plans instead for two smaller windfarms with 40 turbines on the
Buccleuch Estates, which take in Wanlockhead, and 40 on the Leadhills land.
Campaigners believe if those go ahead, the original turbines would soon be
added as extensions – and with the massive Clyde Windfarm already on the
doorstep, tourism hopes would be dashed.
“This would turn the entire area into an industrial landscape,” said Karin
Oostindjer. “It would destroy our tourism industry, which is what this
village and Wanlockhead rely on.”
Villagers want to make the Leadhills and Wanlockhead area the outdoor
capital of the South of Scotland, developing walking in the Lowther Hills,
and having attractions such as a mountain bike centre, a zip line, rope
park, a dry ski slope and an indoor climbing wall.
The Lowther Hills Mountain Resort already has the Lead Mining Museum, gold
panning, the Leadhills and Wanlockhead Railway, a golf course and a ski
slope. but villagers argue that turbines on the hills would kill off the
tourism.
The Scottish Government was originally in favour of community empowerment
such as land buyouts, which are more common in Highland cofting areas.
“The Scottish Government was encouraging us to buy the land. We would have
been the first large buyout in the South of Scotland,” said Karin.
“But by placing us within an industrial park, they are disempowering us.”
And she warned that if the windfarm went ahead, the community would be left
depending on handouts from it, rather than building up a sustainable
tourism industry.
“We would like to be in a position to build a flourishing community,” she said.
“We want to be able to determine our own futures.”
Windfarm objectors have been voted on to the community council, and its
poll shows 80 per cent of villagers are against it.
”It is about getting our voice heard,” said Mike Davis, another community
councillor.
“We are only a little village, but it is about being that mouse that roared.
“The village has a very strong mandate to object to the windfarm.”
Leadhills Estate, however, denied that the windfarm plan had been a
reaction to the buyout plan.
A spokeswoman said: “The Trustees have been exploring the potential for
renewable energy generation on the land, for a number of years.”
She added: “Leadhills Estate is committed to working with the community and
has a good track record of supporting numerous initiatives such as the
Lowther Hill Ski Club and the reopening of the public toilets, which the
estate is part funding. Leadhills is a real gem and we want to work with
the community to create a thriving place for people to live and work.”
1 Comment