Wind farm decision will ‘inflict lasting damage on Caithness’
YOUR VIEWS: Readers of the John O’Groat Journal and Caithness Courier respond to some of the stories hitting the headlines this week
Decision will inflict lasting damage on Caithness
Today marks a deeply sad day for the north of Scotland. Highland Council’s north planning applications committee (NPAC) had the opportunity to object to the proposed West of Orkney Offshore Wind Farm development – a project consisting of 125 towering 360-meter turbines and five offshore substations, located 50 kilometres north-west of Thurso.
Had the council objected, it would have triggered a public local inquiry (PLI), allowing for a more rigorous examination of its impacts. However, despite strong objections from NatureScot and RSPB, which invested significant time and effort into analysing the environmental devastation this project will cause, the majority of councillors chose to follow the planning officers’ recommendation not to object.
This decision will have far-reaching consequences. The sheer scale of this wind farm will dominate the views along the north coast, compromising the natural beauty that attracts so many visitors to the region and directly impacting the vital tourism industry, including the iconic NC500 route.
Even more concerning is the unprecedented destruction of marine and birdlife that this project will cause – concerns that were explicitly raised by the RSPB. Shockingly, despite acknowledging these devastating consequences, the planners still saw fit to push this project forward.
Financially, this development will burden consumers with billions in additional costs on their electricity bills, while not a single kilowatt of the energy produced will benefit local people.
Instead, it will be exported south to England, raising the question: Why is Caithness being sacrificed to power other parts of the UK? Why must our landscapes, communities and wildlife suffer for energy that is not needed nor is it intended for here? If this energy is required further south, why was the project not planned closer to its intended consumers?
The disparity in how the impact of this project has been assessed is deeply troubling. The applicant downplayed the level of public concern, citing a low number of representations from residents, community councils and statutory consultees.
This is not a reflection of apathy but rather a flawed and opaque consultation process that failed to engage and inform local communities adequately. We extend our sincere gratitude to the councillors who recognised the immense harm this project will inflict and stood up to argue for an objection.
To those who voted in favour, we can only express our profound disappointment. Whether through ignorance or misplaced priorities, this decision will inflict lasting damage on Caithness, its people, its economy, and its environment.
This is not progress – it is exploitation, and it is a sad day for Caithness.
The Dunbeath and Berriedale Community Say NO To PYLONS Action Group
Death rate doesn’t consider Covid impact
“The UK death rate reached a record low last year, according to exclusive analysis carried out for BBC News” (March 3).
“Mortality experts looked at death certificates registered in 2024 and found that deaths per head of population had returned to pre-pandemic levels and were slightly below the previous record in 2019.
“However, the new figures put the UK back on its long-term trend of only gradual improvement.
“The research was carried out by analysts from the Continuous Mortality Investigation (CMI) at the Institute of Actuaries.”
Nowhere in the article can I find that any cognisance is taken of the fact that many of the people who would have died in 2024 died earlier due to Covid-19. Covid-19 deaths were heavily loaded by people in the vulnerable age group for 2024.
Total deaths from Covid-19 at January 2021: Below age 70 = 13,000. Above age 69 = 68,000 (rounded off to nearest thousand).
If we killed off everyone over 70 this year then the reduction in the death rate for 2026 would be fantastic.
Perhaps we should kill off the BBC, after all we don’t have to pay for a British Newspaper Corporation BNC licence before we can buy a John O’Groats Journal. Is that why we use the term: The free press?
John Campbell
Castletown
ONLINE VIEWS
‘The wind never stops blowing’ – refusal of Thurso wind farm ‘doesn’t make sense’ says Forss resident
Earlier this week the wind was very strong around Scotland’s north coast. As I drove by the large Strathy wind farm a few miles west of this proposed development, I noticed that not a single turbine was turning.
So even when the wind does blow these turbines are not necessarily producing energy. These north and west coast turbines form a dangerous barrier for the many breeding wader and diver species that nest inland but rely on flying to the coast every day to feed.
Caithness and Sutherland supports large breeding numbers of these species that have almost disappeared from other areas of Britain and often these wind farms are built on their historical breeding grounds. Greenshanks, snipe, lapwings, golden plovers, wood sandpipers, all display in the air at the height of the turbine blades.
If they are not killed by collisions with the blades, they are forced away and lose access to their precious nesting habitats.
Nick Christian
Skerray
200 letters of support? How many letters of objection? Was around 600 for the first submission, probably as many for the second. Only tree-huggers want this nonsense in Caithness, enough is enough.
Liam Sinclair
Thurso
Sadly they are the biggest con going, very few local people are employed, they are not green if you look at how much concrete is used, they are not recyclable when they have to come down after 26 years. If the wind is too strong they have to be shut off, if it’s not strong enough they don’t create any power.
They are a blight and eyesore on what was once a beautiful county.
Gay Draper-Rickards
Latheron