PUBLIC INQUIRY FUND DONATIONS NEEDED PLEASE HELP

Click the donations button

Irvine Butterfield Lecture

We are delighted to accept the offer of Irvine Butterfield,local photographer & best selling author of “The High Mountains of Britain & Ireland” the Munro bagger’s bible & “The Magic of the Munros” short-listed British book of the year, to present "Yellowstone to Yosemite" based on a recent trip to the USA. This will be at the Birnam Institute on the 24th November at 7.30pm. Tickets are £5 and a glass of wine is included

Green Kirk Day

A day of activities to raise awareness about green issues is being held at St Matthews Church Tay Street, Perth from 12noon on the 11th of September.  Speakers will include Robin Harper and representatives from ourselves and Friends of the Earth. 

Calliachar Update

I&H Brown have requested a deferral from Scottish Executive to
enable them to prepare revised landscape assessment (perhaps including
amendments). We have not yet received official confirmation from
Scottish Executive, but we are assuming any amendment may require
re-advertisement.

Objectors say ‘on your bike’ to giant
Wind farm proposals on Perthshire hill tops

Wednesday 4th August at 10.30, Griffin Forest

Local MSP, Perthshire Tourist Board Chief and Mountaineers cycle over the hills and get a first hand view of scenery and local concerns.

Gearing up to peddle their concerns to local MSP John Swinney, Perthshire Tourist Board Chief Executive Douglas Ritchie and Access & Conservation Officer with the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) Mike Dales, members of ASWAG accompanied all three by taking to the hills this week. They wheeled out their objection to plans by GreenPower to build one of the largest wind turbine ‘farms’ in the UK on the hills amidst the ‘golden triangle’ between Dunkeld, Amulree and Aberfeldy.

The party set off on a scenic route from Griffin Forest Car park on the A826 at 10.30 am , finishing at Ballinlick, above Trochry at around 12.30.

Joining the group, all of whom cycled the entire route, was Polly Murray, only Scotswoman, and youngest British woman to climb Everest.

They were sent on their way over the hills on the existing cycle route by Alastair Barr, local Councillor and other concerned local folk and saw at first hand the existing cycle and walking routes, built up over the years by agreement with local landowners which are listed in innumerable guides to this tourist honey pot area.

The cycle ride highlighted concerns about the desecration of the local landscape and the damage that 82 massive turbines could do to the area, and which could decimate tourism in the area.

‘Tourism in Perthshire is worth around £350M’ said Carolyn Baird, Chair of the Perthshire Tourist Board, February 10 2004. In Perthshire around 8700 folk are in tourist related employment. VisitScotland’s own poll suggests that 26% of tourists would be unlikely to return if turbines are visible. This means that the loss could amount to £91M in Perthshire.

Mike Dales of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland said: "The wind energy industry is hooked on taller turbines and bigger wind factories, and thinks it can force its plans through against mounting public opposition. We would like to see a change in emphasis to small scale renewable energy production where energy is produced locally and fed straight into our homes and workplaces. Big companies won't like this idea because it will create more jobs in smaller companies, but it will generate more renewable energy, create far less damage and regain public support for the concept of renewable energy."

Public Meeting

Birnam Institute on Thursday the 15th of July at 7.30pm

Sheila Mannion, Chair of Dunkeld Community Council, organised a meeting to discuss the Griffin Forest application. The speakers were: Rob Forrest - GreenPower; Graham Esson - PKC; Helen Taylor - ASWAG. About 150 people attended - the vast majority were opposed to the development and were not ASWAG members. Contrary to claims by GreenPower most of the questions and comments from the floor were also made by non-ASWAG members. We would like to thank Sheila for her skill and charm in keeping the meeting moving along and allowing so many people to ask questions and make comments.

Figures confirm Wind Rush

ASWAG has calculated the the state of play regarding the progress
towards Scotland's 2010 renewable energy target. The figures are given on our "Facts & Figures" page.

'Protecting the Landscape of Highland Perthshire'

ASWAG submitted this document to Perth & Kinross Council, through Councillor Alistair Barr, at the start of the consultation period on their draft policy on wind energy. The document highlights key areas for consideration in deciding this policy and gathers together relevant information from existing policy documents and reports on landscape, wildlife, road issues and tourism. A copy is now available for download from our "Links to documents" page

GreenPower Griffin Forrest Application Submitted

Application wil be advertised 25th May - 8th June

Scottish Executive consultation period 8th June - 6th July

Public Exhibitions:

Birnam Institute - 15th June

Amulree Community Hall - 23rd June

Aberfeldy Town Hall - 24th June

ASWAG on TV

This time we are being featured on the BBC, the Landward programme specifically, Landward, BBC One (Scotland and N of England) at 11.30 am sunday 23rd May

Perth & Kinross Council's Draft Policy Guidance on Wind Energy

The draft policy if approved will form an amendment to the Structure Plan. A link to the draft is available on our 'Links to Documents' page. The document has been put out for public consultation. We believe the policy as published, is flawed in a number of ways, more to follow on this later. Please send your comments on the draft policy to your local Councillor and local Community Council, as soon as possible. They will be consulted by Perth & Kinross Council.