Wind Farms and National and Regional Parks

The motion

That the Parliament recognises the unique and valuable role that regional parks play in Scottish life and the need to protect them for future generations; notes that Scotland’s three regional parks together cover less than 0.5% of Scotland’s entire land mass and offer outstanding beauty to visitors; understands that Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, covering parts of Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and North Ayrshire, has recently been threatened by a number of industrial wind farm developments that could see the installation of up to 240 wind turbines; accepts that if no turbines are built within Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, North Ayrshire can still provide sufficient suitable areas for wind farms to meet its contribution to national renewable energy targets; is aware that the Scottish Tourism Economic Activity Monitor (STEAM) reported that there were some 1.6 million tourist days in Muirshiel Regional Park in 2005, with visitors generating £77 million that year; is clear that a study undertaken on the impact on visitor numbers, should wind turbine developments progress, shows that more than a quarter of those visitors would not visit, at a possible cost of £20 million to the already depressed local economy which has suffered severe job losses through de-industrialisation and depopulation over many years; is sensitive to the fact that the park is used for hill walking, nature study, orienteering, hang gliding, paragliding and peace and tranquillity and that wind turbine construction would pose a great risk to bird, animal and plant life as well as to water courses and aquatic life; supports the campaign of the Ladymoor Windfarm Factory Action Group to prevent despoilation of Muirshiel Regional Park by industrrial wind farms; congratulates the unanimous decision of the Public Petitions Committee on 19 February 2008, following a discussion of Petition 1095, to write to the Scottish Government to seek a further response on whether adequate protection is afforded to regional parks in terms of development, such as windfarms, and the pressure these are under and what consideration it has given to discourage applications for windfarms in regional parks, and urges the Scottish Government to exclude certain areas, such as regional parks, from such developments.


No recorded vote on this motion. Most motions are never debated, and many that are debated are agreed without a division. Vote records are published from 2011.

SNP 3 LD 1 Con 1

Party shown is each supporter’s party when the motion was published.

No contribution in the Official Report cites S3M-01697 by reference.