PE800 calls on the Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to conduct a public inquiry into wind farm construction and in the meantime to introduce an immediate moratorium on further wind farm developments. The Executive set out its goals for the development of renewable energy in March 2003 in the document "Securing a Renewable Future: Scotland's Renewable Energy". The Executive's overarching policy on the location of renewable energy developments is set out in the national planning framework, which was published in April 2004. The Enterprise and Culture Committee held an inquiry into renewable energy during the first half of 2004, the report of which was published in June. A key conclusion of the committee's report, which was debated in Parliament on 6 October 2004, was:"The Executive must take an active lead and develop a national strategic framework for wind farm applications, and engage with local authorities on how to deliver this within their areas. This could include arriving at agreements with local authorities as to their contribution to meeting the energy targets, and extending guidance."In October 2002, the petitioner submitted petition PE564, which called on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to develop a national strategy for wind farms and to encourage the energy industry to defer the submission of planning applications for new wind farm developments and to withdraw pending applications until such a strategy is developed and implemented. PE564 was considered during the Enterprise and Culture Committee's recent inquiry.Margaret Ewing is here and I hope that she will help us to consider the petition.
Official Report · Committee
New Petitions
Wind Farm Construction (Public Inquiry) (PE800)
Speakers
Choose an MSP to read only their contributions- Michael McMahon Lab 5
- Margaret Ewing SNP 4
- John Scott Con 3
- Helen Eadie Lab 3
The record
15 contributionsI have sat through most of the meeting and I am lost in admiration of how members deal with the rich tapestry of life that comes before the Public Petitions Committee. I wish the committee well in its deliberations.I am here out of respect, because the petitioner is my constituent—indeed, he was an honourable opponent on the list during the most recent Scottish Parliament elections. The petitioner has a long track record in planning. I have given careful consideration to the siting of wind farms and have participated in some of the debates that have been mentioned.During question time last week, I wanted to ask a supplementary to a question that Alex Johnstone asked of Allan Wilson, the Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, but the guillotine came down on general questions, in spite of the fact that the light on my console was still flashing. In response to Alex Johnstone, the minister indicated that a forum had been established and that the Executive had commissioned research, which he hoped would enable it "to begin the review of national planning policy guideline 6 earlier than anticipated."—Official Report, 13 January 2005; c 13526. If we ask for a public inquiry, that might delay the process. There have been public inquiries into bypasses and various other things in my constituency and I know that they knock the process further back. I wonder whether the petition could be submitted to the forum and the Executive for their consideration, because it raises valid points. There is a consensus in the Parliament that, although we support renewable energy, planning is a crucial factor that needs a national strategy rather than piecemeal legislation.
I agree with Margaret Ewing. We should write to the Executive to ask what plans it has to develop a national strategic framework. We should be quite specific, because that is what the Enterprise and Culture Committee's report recommended. As yet, I am not aware that the Executive has said what it is going to do about that, so I suggest that we ask it.
We are entitled to ask the Executive that. Is everyone happy that we do that?
My understanding is that the Executive has already developed a national framework. It set out its goals for the development of renewable energy in "Securing a Renewable Future: Scotland's Renewable Energy" in March 2003. Given that the Executive has made that statement, the question is how it intends to build on it. Now that it has set out its goals and aspirations, we need to know what supporting mechanisms it will put in place.Margaret Ewing made the point that there is clear support for the idea of renewable energy. The issue is about ensuring that we do not have a patchwork approach; there needs to be a cohesive supporting framework. The issue is the extent to which the Parliament tries to suck up from the planning authorities their legitimate place in the process. Decisions are down to the planning authorities, but the key issue is not that there is no strategy, as the strategy and the goals have been outlined; it is that the planning authorities do not have the appropriate guidelines. In other words, we want more detail.
Without wishing to contradict a fellow member of the committee too severely, those elements were outlined in 2003, but in 2004 the Enterprise and Culture Committee said in its report:"The Executive must take an active lead and develop a national strategic framework for wind farm applications".Why did that committee, which has much more knowledge of the subject than Helen Eadie or I, say that?
I will not get into an argument. I simply reiterate that the Executive set out its strategy in 2003 and that it is the detail that needs to be considered—I am talking about the planning guidelines.
The planning guidelines are the key issue. I have lost track of the number of wind farm applications that have been made in Moray, where two wind farms are already up and running. All members will have had similar experiences. Some members of the tourism industry think that wind farms are an advantage, while others think that it is a disadvantage. All those issues come into play in local communities. The petitioner, Bob Graham, is asking for a public inquiry to be held, but I am not sure that the committee would want that to happen. However, the evidence that Mr Graham and his colleagues are willing to submit would be useful to the forum that has been set up and to helping to achieve an earlier start of the review of NPPG 6. The fact that people feel that their communities are being bombarded with wind farm applications is important. Landowners are benefiting and although the communities involved get a small amount of money, it is not long-term money. All those factors come into play. That is why national strategic guidelines are so important.
It would be worth verifying the Executive's post-review position to find out what progress has been made on addressing the issues that Margaret Ewing has raised with the committee and the issues that are set out in the petition. I suggest that we write to the Executive and consider its response in due course. Are members agreed?Members indicated agreement.
Thank you very much, convener.
Do members want to have a break or do you want to press on?
Can I have an electric blanket?
I will try to get some heat into the room. The debate is obviously not heating us up enough.
This is the second time this week that Helen Eadie and I have frozen in a committee room.
I think that I had a relapse of my cold after Monday's experience.
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