THE disgraceful decision by North Ayrshire Council planning department to
ignore the many protests and objections to the ruination of Holy Isle,
Arran by permitting the erection of a wind farm (“Unholy row breaks out
over Buddhist monks’ wind farm”, The Herald, October 3 and Letters, October
3 & 5), is perhaps to be expected of a body that seems to have no interest
or appreciation of the beauty of an island and the countryside that its
employees can probably see from their offices in Irvine, should they ever
look.
What is rather more sinister is the Buddhists’ thoughtlessness, which
results in desecrating this island of Saint Molaise with their proposed
wind farm. They have swept aside their philosophical utterings by wishing
to erect a wind farm on a bird-rich island that does not need it and will
result in killing many birds, some rare, as these installations have done
elsewhere. The six turbines will produce far more electricity than the
islands few houses requires, but no doubt the excess will be “exported” and
make a nice little earner. Solar panels could do the same job without the
killing.
It will be interesting to see how the Buddhists plan to mitigate against
the destruction of nesting birds, bats and otters, as required by the
planning consent. In trying to “reduce their environmental impact” on the
island, the Buddhists will vastly increase it.
Bernard Zonfrillo,
28 Brodie Road, Glasgow.
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