View Full Version : Highland Council to own Wind Farms?
Chris Huhne has announced plans to allow councils in England to be able sell their own green electricity to the grid. That means they will be able to own, site and approve planning permission at a swoop on their own land.
What happens in England quite often follows in Scotland or visa versa.
If it did happen in Highland then it could be feasible that the Council will be totally self-sufficient by wind energy leading to abolishment of Council Tax.
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn10_078/pn10_078.aspx
Bobinovich
10-Jul-10, 13:20
It might keep Council Tax down but you must be living in cloud cuckoo land if you think they'd abolish it outright...
Perhaps, but public ownership of wind farms would cut out a lot of stalling via the planning process.
If the Council could do that they would cover Caithness in windfarms, people would move away and there wouldn't anyone left to pay the Council Tax.
tiger woods
10-Jul-10, 14:58
Chris Huhne has announced plans to allow councils in England to be able sell their own green electricity to the grid. That means they will be able to own, site and approve planning permission at a swoop on their own land.
What happens in England quite often follows in Scotland or visa versa.
If it did happen in Highland then it could be feasible that the Council will be totally self-sufficient by wind energy leading to abolishment of Council Tax.
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn10_078/pn10_078.aspx
Chris Huhne has his own wind turbine, to power the trouser press he thieved off us prior to the expenses scandal. The man, like the rest of the coalition, is a weasel.
If the Council could do that they would cover Caithness in windfarms, people would move away and there wouldn't anyone left to pay the Council Tax.
Does the Council own any large tracts of land in Caithness?
tiger woods
10-Jul-10, 15:03
Does the Council own any large tracts of land in Caithness?
The playing fields behind WHS!! And 'maybe' Bignold Park. I'm sure they will ensure ownership before the first wind turbine is planted (or will they?)
Up the top of any high ground in Caithness would do-
If the Council could do that they would cover Caithness in windfarms, people would move away and there wouldn't anyone left to pay the Council Tax.
I wonder are wind turbines more profitable than people?
Seems a cracking idea.
The council have whipped the swings away from the kiddies play parks so they could just concrete them over and put up a windymill instead. Huge income from the ROC's and if they put some handles on the side the kiddies could use 'em as climbing frames too. Double bonus.
Seems a cracking idea.
The council have whipped the swings away from the kiddies play parks so they could just concrete them over and put up a windymill instead. Huge income from the ROC's and if they put some handles on the side the kiddies could use 'em as climbing frames too. Double bonus.
I agree, and what is more, the wind farms will be in public ownership so getting rid of one of the biggest criticisms that is greedy privateers are cashing in on the goldrush.
I agree, and what is more, the wind farms will be in public ownership so getting rid of one of the biggest criticisms that is greedy privateers are cashing in on the goldrush.
No need to rule out PFI's.
I've gotta bitty land, council could buy the windymills, spread the wealth.
ywindythesecond
11-Jul-10, 08:16
Great idea, combined with brownfield development. Longman Landfill site would be perfect!
Welcomefamily
11-Jul-10, 11:31
Yes its the operating part that is important, I believe many councils have had stakes in wind farms, some councils have used profits to reduce business rate which brings more businessess to an area.
I think Cornwall are generally leading in the way in this, but then they had the first commerical windfarm in 1991, I know at the end of 2000 they had about 10% of all turbines. I know they have some very big offshore ones done as well since then.
http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=22984
http://www.reoc.info/wind-power
One thing that should be looked at is the siting of wind farms where this is entirely down to the landowner making a killing out of it.
HC did at least produce a strategy, at huge public expense. This seems to have been completely set aside in favour of a sort of ad-hoc system where landowners in cahouts with developers are suggesting where they should go. This in turn is emptying the Planning Dept's coffers (our money again) as they have to try to justify or refuse them in expensive hearings.
If the Council had some rights of ownership, then they should be looking at a suitable site, purchasing it, and concentrating the entire development there.
What is being cast as part of some sort of National strategy should not depend on greedy people cashing in on the inducements (for which BTW we are all paying). This is producing a rash of badly-sited, uneconomical and damaging schemes which are popping up all over the County.
As an example, Yarrows is about to reappear on the scene - 9 turbines (so far) mooted.
the infrastructure which would have to be put in to serve this, including a large road about a mile long, surely casts doubt on its viability at this level.
Can anyone think of a less suitable or more damaging scheme than this?
The ones that spring to mind are the one which was proposed some time ago for a site within Orkney's World Heritage site, and another which was suggested for the Callanish area.
These just go to show how insensitive people can be to their heritage when money is to be made.
Without the ROCs, grants, subsidies and juicy leases on offer, none of these people would have the slightest concern for saving the planet in the way they propose.
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