Beauly to host convention on impact of Highlands renewable energy projects on June 14 amid ‘failure of democratic institutions’ to represent locals
The failure of democratic institutions to properly represent communities impacted by new major energy infrastructure will see a convention held on June 14.
Official resistance to communities highlighting their concerns about renewable energy projects is clear from Highland Council to Scottish and UK governments.
The local authority was highly reluctant to develop a live map of where existing and planned developments are located across the Highlands and tried to vote it down.
One councillor who has persistently pushed the issue of democratic involvement in the renewables planning process is Aird and Loch Ness’ Helen Crawford.
She had to fight to get the council to produce the live map and she helped bring more than 60 community councils together to push for that.
Now she is working with seven local councils – Kirkhill and Bunchrew, Kiltarlity Sleat, Strathnairn, Kilmorack and Strathglass – to stage the public event on June 14 for people to raise the issues that many of those they elected refuse to do.
Other community councils not directly involved are encouraged to email Cameron Kemp by clicking here.
Many locals feel that the tide of new projects is being ushered in so quickly that they lack the time to significantly oppose them – and when they do they are ignored.
Highland Council has limited powers if a project is deemed “major” and those decisions are then taken by the energy consents unit in Edinburgh.
That has left many in the region believing that they have been disenfranchised from the process which is having a dramatic impact on their doorsteps.
And that is before you come to the issue of how much community or national benefit can be gained from the renewable energy projects.
SSEN’s Pathway to 2030 envisages more than £20 billion of investment while community benefit is estimated to be more than £100 million.
That is approximately 0.5 per cent of its total investment and does not calculate how much revenue will flow out of the region.
Cllr Crawford is in no doubt that it is necessary, saying: “This convention is needed because our institutions are failing to adequately represent many of these impacted communities.
“The fact is that a lot of impacted communities are not being protected, they are not being adequately represented and that needs to change.
“It has been left to community councils to fill that vacuum, community councils which are run by volunteers who are unpaid but have to grapple with multiple complex energy applications, and to unpick the often immense impact of that on their communities.
“That needs to change. The message is loud and clear – do not ignore the community voice as we are impacted by this once in a generation change - we need a place at the top table where the decisions are really made.
“This Convention is a significant expression and strengthening of the community voice across The Highlands and I will do all I can to facilitate it as the chair.”
Cameron Kemp, Chair of Kirkhill and Bunchrew Community Council said: “I welcome and absolutely back the call for a Convention of Community Councils.
“Communities which are likely to be so very heavily impacted by huge infrastructure developments must have a voice – and the Highland Council and Scottish Government must take account of what they are saying.
“This whole renewable energy transformation has to be done in such a way that it accommodates community wishes and arrives at solutions which are not destructive to, but in keeping with our Highland way of life, our landscapes and our heritage.
“The communities' health, mental health and well being should absolutely not be damaged as a result of this.
“A regional pricing system for electricity which brings about electricity generation close to consumers would be a much more sane, cost effective, and less damaging way of achieving the goal of net zero, and the governments should accept and adopt this as their strategy."
