News Elsewhere contains mainly articles we have permission to republish from Views of Scotland and Country Guardian. You can learn more about these organisations by visiting: http://www.countryguardian.net/ and http://www.viewsofscotland.org/. Occasionally we will also post news from elsewhere on the web.
In The New Map, Yergin sets out the reality that past energy transitions, like the one in the UK from wood to coal that began in the 1500s, have taken place across a century or more and have never ended with the former energy source being abandoned. In fact, the Read more
Unfair tax I agree with Ian Steele (Letters, 15 August). The Scottish Government consultation about a proposed, eye watering increase in council tax for bands E-H is nothing more than the usual tick-box exercise. Many old houses are in the higher tax bands but those properties are the ones which Read more
A 15-mile overhead cable connecting a wind farm above Archiestown to the national grid at Keith will go ahead. But one councillor has criticised the process as being an “affront to local democracy”. The line will link the Elchies Rothes III wind farm to the Blackhillock substation. Moray Council objected Read more
UK electricity regulator Ofgem has provisionally approved SSEN Transmission’s proposals to upgrade the grid in Argyll and Kintyre, Scotland. In its minded-to approve consultation on the company’s Final Needs Case, Ofgem has recognised the clear need for the Argyll and Kintyre Reinforcement Strategy, which SSEN Transmission said will secure future Read more
You might be interested in responding to this consultation if you are living in a rural area and face a huge rise in Council tax (Bands E-H). We have responded as individuals using the industrialisation of the countryside and the effect it has on our residential amenity as a reason Read more
Highland Council says new wind farm plans for south of Nairn show “insufficient regard to preserving natural beauty of the countryside” and has called on members to raise an objection. Planning officials cited as well the impact the development could have on the surrounding area, which is nearing saturation point Read more
Following the Round table meeting for Communities at the Scottish Parliament in June organised by Alexander Burnett MSP, SAS followed up with letters to all the MSPs who attended the Round table and also those who took part in the debate which followed. We have received a response (below) from Read more
Harvie playing King Canute TRUST in politicians is tenuous at best but Patrick Harvie is stretching this to incredulity. Instead of backing down over heat pumps he is continuing on the offensive (“Harvie calls on UK Government to cut cost of running heat pump”, The Herald, August 11). He Read more