Hi all
We were passed some interest news recently by a supporter of ours. It is about an offshore windfarm development by Vattenfall in Norfolk, whose planning was rejected by a judge. Vattenfall are the Swedish company planning to develop another windfarm in the Clashindarroch which we strongly believe would be devastating for the remaining wildcats.
There are some comparisons here which give us great encouragement.
Firstly, this case was brought and won by a local resident which shows that in a David versus Goliath contest, David can and did win.
Secondly, it also illustrates a tactic used by infrastructure development companies like Vattenfall to get their projects through by stealth. Companies often lay down the infrastructure for huge developments. However they know that they won’t get permission if they apply for everything in one go. Therefore they slice up the projects and apply piece by piece with the ultimate aim of achieving their original goal. This seems far from transparent to us and simply not fair to the local communities and wildlife that are affected. In this case, Vattenfall’s tactics were exposed and rejected by a judge. It is very similar to the Clashindarroch where an original windfarm was applied for and granted ( before we started working there). Now they plan on using some of that same infrastructure to develop a second major windfarm in the forest that would lead to the clear felling of huge areas of crucial wildcat habitat and would be catastrophic for the remaining wildcats.
Interestingly, the Vattenfall Norfolk development, was rejected just on visual landscape impact grounds. However, we are arguing that the last major breeding population of possibly the rarest feline species in the world is at stake, and is too important to lose for a windfarm development that can be sited elsewhere. Surely this is an overwhelmingly compelling argument. Common sense must prevail and the Clashindarroch 2 windfarm must not go ahead. It has already been rejected at the local level by the council but we will keep fighting until the application is withdrawn and the wildcats are safe.
As we always confirm, we are pro renewables energy but not if the price to pay is the extinction of the Scottish wildcat. This news shows that this is fight that we definitely can and must win.
Here is the link to the Norfolk news piece.
https://renews.biz/66580/judge-quashes-vanguard-consent/
We will finish by sharing the words of the local resident who brought and won the case.
Ray Pearce said, “Planning applications can’t be railroaded through. There are laws and processes that need to be followed,”.
We couldn’t agree more.
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Many thanks as always
The Wildcat Haven Team