Hi All

We are getting close to the hearing date of the 2nd March, when the Public Inquiry into the Clashindarroch windfarm proposal will take place. We are currently finalising the witness statements of our wildcat specialist and ecological advisor, which are due to be submitted on the 14th February.

As we have demonstrated throughout this process, Vattenfall (the applicant, and a company owned solely by the Swedish Government), have consistently tried to withhold wildcat data that is clearly damaging to their application. They only released the wildcat data from their Environmental Impact Assessment after a two year wait and even then, they released a heavily redacted version which still conceals crucial information. This is of course just a blatant and transparent attempt to avoid due scrutiny.

However we are now in receipt of some disturbing evidence that provides a much deeper insight into just how far Vattenfall will go, to conceal the evidence of wildcats at their application sites. Information from a whistle-blower has emerged which claims that Vattenfall staff, told ecological consultants who were surveying the Clashindarroch 1 site for wildcats, to withhold evidence of potential wildcats, and not make this information public. This is of course appalling and our legal team is now looking at the best way to present this information to the Inquiry.

If proven, such suppression of key information that would bias an Environmental Impact Assessment in their favour, is potentially an attempt at corporate fraud. We have no reason at all to doubt the evidence we have been shown and it is simply indicative of the way Vattenfall have behaved throughout this process.

As you can see, if we weren’t pushing through with this campaign, then the betrayal of the Scottish wildcat would simply go unnoticed. This petition and your support has shone a very bright light into dark areas and revealed information that was clearly meant to be concealed by Vattenfall.

The Inquiry will bring all this into the open. We are up against a multi billion pound organisation but we are determined to see this through to the end and save this population of magnificent wildcats.

If you can help us then please support our legal crowdfunder at:

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/wildcats/

Many thanks as always

The Wildcat Haven Team.