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r.rackstraw
17-Nov-07, 00:23
Well done Dunnet and Canisbay Community Council for organising this poll. The high % of people who responded surely shows that polls should be carried out for all wind farm proposals.
Other Community Councils please note.

Rheghead
17-Nov-07, 00:39
I don't really know what these polls truly represent or how they will be interpreted. To demonstrate my point, if there was a poll about a nightclub, a Disneyworld or a bookmakers, then there would probably be the same pattern of of demography where a minority will have the leading amount out of all the ballots issued. The poll doesn't really represent anything except to say that a minority doesn't want it, a smaller minority want it, and a greater minority couldn't be bothered to vote as they didn't feel strongly enough either way to do so. The result certainly doesn't say the majority want the proposal or wants to reject it. I would expect the context would be interpreted more intelligently than a complete rejection.

peter macdonald
17-Nov-07, 11:49
http://www.windaction.org/articles/4652
Perhaps this shows how little community councils input is in this It also is perhaps is a guide as to who makes the descisions
PM

ywindythesecond
18-Nov-07, 02:49
I don't really know what these polls truly represent or how they will be interpreted. To demonstrate my point, if there was a poll about a nightclub, a Disneyworld or a bookmakers, then there would probably be the same pattern of of demography where a minority will have the leading amount out of all the ballots issued. The poll doesn't really represent anything except to say that a minority doesn't want it, a smaller minority want it, and a greater minority couldn't be bothered to vote as they didn't feel strongly enough either way to do so. The result certainly doesn't say the majority want the proposal or wants to reject it. I would expect the context would be interpreted more intelligently than a complete rejection.

Why have a vote on anything if the non-voters are counted ? The point about the Dunnet and Canisbay Community Council's consutation information and independent ballot exercise was that it was exactly that. Informed by both sides at an open advertised meeting at Auckengil, and balloted by the Electoral Reform Rociety.
Reggy, what more do you need?

Rheghead
18-Nov-07, 09:36
Why have a vote on anything if the non-voters are counted ?

Because if the vote was used to determine the depth of feeling within the said community towards the Stroupster proposal then it could be interpreted that the majority doesn't mind having the windfarm at all, and only a significant minority really felt compelled enough to have their voice heard against it.

Welcomefamily
18-Nov-07, 11:04
Any one know what the actual % of people from Dunnet etc was? Not the number at the meetings.

spurtle
19-Nov-07, 13:22
We are used to politicians trying to cast a total defeat as some kind of victory - However, NPower has to take the biscuit here
"we must regard the 400+ peopple who did not vote, as potential supporters"

So that's all right then!!

Sapphire2803
19-Nov-07, 22:13
Well, I've got to say, I'm not all that impressed with this ballot.
I live at Southwest Auckengill (Up the hill, right near the proposed windfarm)
and I've been merrily waiting for out ballot papers to come through the post...
Still waiting...
As far as I know, my next door neighbours didn't get theirs either and friends a little further down the road received an info pack from the power company, but no ballot papers.
Makes me wonder a bit about the percentage of people who voted.
At that rate, the percentage of people who voted, would be the people who actually received a ballot paper!!
To be honest, a big complaint around here has been that the community council (rightly or wrongly) insisted on putting the vote to the entire parish of dunnet and canisbay and completely ignored the folks in Nybster, Keiss etc.
The attitude seemed to be that if they wanted a vote, then they should get their own community council... Although, to be honest, I've never noticed the community council being particularly bothered with Auckengill until this Wind farm mullarky

Ok! Rant over!
Sorry, I'll crawl back into lurk mode now, I promise ;)

ywindythesecond
19-Nov-07, 23:36
Well, I've got to say, I'm not all that impressed with this ballot.
I live at Southwest Auckengill (Up the hill, right near the proposed windfarm)
and I've been merrily waiting for out ballot papers to come through the post...
Still waiting...
As far as I know, my next door neighbours didn't get theirs either and friends a little further down the road received an info pack from the power company, but no ballot papers.
Makes me wonder a bit about the percentage of people who voted.
At that rate, the percentage of people who voted, would be the people who actually received a ballot paper!!
To be honest, a big complaint around here has been that the community council (rightly or wrongly) insisted on putting the vote to the entire parish of dunnet and canisbay and completely ignored the folks in Nybster, Keiss etc.
The attitude seemed to be that if they wanted a vote, then they should get their own community council... Although, to be honest, I've never noticed the community council being particularly bothered with Auckengill until this Wind farm mullarky

Ok! Rant over!
Sorry, I'll crawl back into lurk mode now, I promise ;)


Keep ranting Sapphire, but not at Dunnet and Canisbay Community Council! It could only ballot people in its area, and there is a boundary to the area. Keiss etc doesn't have a Community Council because Keiss etc Community didn't care enough to set one up, so you have no political voice. If you want to be heard, get youself a Community Council. If you want to object to Stroupster Windfarm, visit www.caithnesswindfarms.co.uk (http://www.caithnesswindfarms.co.uk) and register your opposition on-line.

Sapphire2803
20-Nov-07, 00:08
Ah, but that's just it. I and the people I mentioned are all living in Canisbay parish and were supposed to receive ballot papers.

It's funny though how as soon as I say the word rant, it is assumed that I am against the wind farm. Am I?? Ah, now that would be telling ;)

Bobinovich
20-Nov-07, 00:24
I don't see how anyone has assumed you are anti-windfarm - ywindy simply said "If you want to object to Stroupster Windfarm..." which doesn't assume one way or another IMO.

Sapphire2803
20-Nov-07, 00:47
No, I suppose it was more the way I read it. My point though was more general, If you mention "rant" and "windfarm" in the same sentence, people automatically assume that you are against. Funny that.
It's a shame (in general) that people don't make more fuss when they are for something (anything).
For example, I've lost count of the people I've met who, unless something gets them motivated (i.e. they're against it) don't bother to vote in the general elections etc.
Anyway that's another story...

Sorry if I misinterpreted the previous post and sorry if I wasn't clear enough in my post and um.. well.. sorry

(This is why I generally just lurk)

rupert
20-Nov-07, 16:02
Ah, but that's just it. I and the people I mentioned are all living in Canisbay parish and were supposed to receive ballot papers.

It's funny though how as soon as I say the word rant, it is assumed that I am against the wind farm. Am I?? Ah, now that would be telling ;)

If you were all supposed to receive ballot papers why on earth didn't you get in touch with the community council and get them to sort it out. There has obviously been a mix up somewhere which I'm sure could have been easily rectified and then you could have had your say one way or the other.

Sapphire2803
20-Nov-07, 16:14
Well, we knew that there was going to be a ballot, but we didn't know exactly when it would be and were just waiting for the papers to come through. The first we knew that we'd missed it was when we saw the headline in the paper. We thought it was just us until we spoke to the neighbours.

ywindythesecond
20-Nov-07, 19:45
Well, we knew that there was going to be a ballot, but we didn't know exactly when it would be and were just waiting for the papers to come through. The first we knew that we'd missed it was when we saw the headline in the paper. We thought it was just us until we spoke to the neighbours.

Sapphire 2803, are you sure you are in the DandC cc area? I am led to understand that the boundary is the Nybster road, so it is possible for someone on the north side to be balloted and the neighbour on the south side not. The other possible reason for being left out is if you are not on the electoral register. If you want to find out why you weren't balloted, you will find contact details for D&C CC here http://www.community-council.org.uk/DunnetandCanisbay/