Highland MPs and MSPs set to attend second community council renewables convention with August 12 event focussed on ‘respecting local democracy’
Momentum is building behind efforts to get national and local political leadership to “respect local democracy” with a second major Highland renewables convention set for August 12.
Eleven out of a possible 13 Highland MPs and MSPs will attend the event in the Kingsmills Hotel arranged by seven community councils from across the region.
The cabinet secretary for climate action and energy Gillian Martin has also been invited but it remains to be seen whether she will come.
An earlier event in June saw a surge of support for the position that too many major renewables projects are being delivered without the consent of locals.
The new convention was arranged after we reported local politicians’ reactions so now MPs and MSPs will “be given an opportunity to explain their response”.
Organisers also want to know what they have to say about the unified statement agreed at the June meeting calling for a “pause” on all new developments.
While arguing a position that many Highland residents want action as they feel ignored by the UK and Scottish government as well as Highland Council.
So they called for the Scottish Government to undertake a Planning Inquiry Commission to address the cumulative impact of renewables developments.
And the “pause” they wanted would continue until a clear National Energy Policy was in place and an Economic Impact Assessment on tourism was delivered.
In a statement the seven community councils said: “The convention has now secured a meeting with 11 of our 13 MSP/MP cohorts for the Highland Council area.
“This meeting of community councils and political representatives is unprecedented, and it is hoped that all elected members will make themselves available to attend.
“This is an opportunity for our MSPs and MPs to give their response to the unified statement which was agreed by the convention, and outline precisely what they propose to do about it for our communities.
“The purpose of this convention is to ensure that our MSP/MP cohort fully understand the convention’s concerns, that the MSP/MP cohort be given an opportunity to explain their response to the Unified Statement and outline their proposed actions on behalf of our communities.”
They have again invited Aird and Loch Ness Councillor Helen Crawford to chair the meeting, she said: “The community council convention on 14th June in Beauly was an unprecedented grassroots gathering, of over 50 community councils, collectively representing over 72,000 residents in the Highland Council Area.
“This was a significant community based discussion, something that was desperately needed because these community councils were fragmented until that point.”
The community councils who arranged the meeting:
Cameron Kemp, Chair Kirkhill & Bunchrew community council
Andy Fraser, Chair Kilmorack community council
Susan Ogston, Chair Kiltarlity community council
Dr Andy Williamson, Chair Sleat community council
Humphrey Clarke, Chair Strathglass community council
Gordon Shand, Chair Muir of Ord community council
Phil Macintosh, Chair Strathnairn community council
Read in full the ‘Unified Statement of the Convention of Community Councils’:
"This convention supported by over FIFTY COMMUNITY COUNCILS, collectively representing over 72,000 residents within The Highland Council area:
• RECOGNISES the impact of climate change on our planet but OPPOSES an unjust and unnecessary industrialisation of The Highlands
• CALLS for our elected members to URGENTLY support and protect our communities at NATIONAL level, given that community consultation is inadequate and LOCAL DEMOCRACY is being overridden, with decisions made by community councils and Highland Council consistently disregarded by the Scottish Government.
• CALLS upon the Scottish Government to undertake a PLANNING INQUIRY COMMISSION to address the whole cumulative impact of all major renewable energy infrastructure developments, including transmission, storage and generation with all ancillary infrastructure on our communities and landscape, rather than the salami sliced approach which has thus far been taken.
• CALLS for a PAUSE of all major applications, given the impact upon our communities, which may hasten depopulation in some areas until a clear NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY is in place and an ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT undertaken given that tourism is currently the backbone of The Highland economy."
