Rachel has provided a short summary for us explaining what happened over the last two days at her Tribunal Hearing.
First Tier Information Tribunal Hearing
Rachel Connor vs. The Information Commissioner, Low Carbon Contracts Company and Sneddon Law Community Wind Company Ltd (CWP Holdings Ltd)- aka David vs. three Goliath lawfirms; on behalf of the Commissioner, a very rich Renewable company and a Government sponsored private company administering public subsidies.
This was in essence – does the public have a right for information about a publicly funded environmental policy (The Contract for Difference) which will facilitate damage to private water supplies predicted to be at risk from building Sneddon Law windfarm? Or, do commercial companies have the right to suppress the presumption in law that environmental information should be disclosed, on the basis that disclosure will harm their economic interests and profits?
The two day hearing this week was mostly heard behind closed doors with no access to the public on the basis that the arguments were confidential. So we have no idea if the economic points argued to the judge had a credible basis – we cannot challenge what was said.
It would seem curious for a civilised society if a recognised basic Human Right to safe water should be subservient to the economic interests of windfarm companies, who champion their supposed benefits to the environment. But that is the society that we seem to live in, particularly in Scotland where turbines rule, regardless of any predicted adverse impacts.
What has become evident is that there is an obscene amount of money to be made by Renewable companies at the expense of electricity consumers. An investment of £100,000 can become £40 million in less than 15 years! No wonder people’s water supplies don’t matter to these developers – or to Governments who receive substantial benefits from hosting these turbines.
The judge expects to make a ruling in 2-3 weeks and we’ll let you know what happens.
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