Trump team expected to attend Cameron Community Council's debate on Scotland's renewable energy plans
Senior members of Donald Trump's New York team are expected to take part in a major debate on windfarm developments in Fife next week.
- By Leeza Clark
- Published in the Courier : 20.02.12
- Published online : 20.02.12 @ 02.18pm
The event, on March 1, is the first public information event with a range of Scottish experts on wind energy to be staged in St Andrews.
Given the controversy over proposed windfarms around St Andrews and elsewhere in Fife, the organisers are anticipating a full house at the Town Hall.
They have now learned that members of the American tycoon's team have also pledged to be there.
Recent objections to St Andrews University's windfarm by the Old Course Hotel, among others, have echoed Mr Trump's concerns that industrial windfarms in areas favoured by golfers and tourists will wreck the landscape and harm those industries.
Mr Trump has written to First Minister Alex Salmond accusing him of being ''hellbent on destroying Scotland's coastline''.
He objects to plans for a windfarm near his Aberdeenshire golf resort and has warned he would abandon his proposals for a hotel and houses on the Menie Estate if the development is approved.
It is in the midst of growing tensions over plans that a north-east Fife community council has organised the groundbreaking public forum.
Cameron Community Council said that, love them or loathe them, wind turbines are coming to Fife.
From industrial windfarms to back-garden turbines, Fife is facing a torrent of applications.
Community council chairman Gordon Ball said: ''People are frightened and concerned by the prospect of these turbines. As a community council, it's part of our job to make sure our communities have accurate information about the windfarms and turbines we are being asked to live with.''
Mr Ball invited John Mayhew, the director of the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland, who gave a talk to the community council last summer. He explained the background to the plan to make Scotland the ''Saudi Arabia of wind''.
Joining Mr Mayhew will be former grid control engineer and When Will The Lights Go Out author Derek Birkett, and Scottish MEP Struan Stevenson.
Also taking part will be Dave Bruce who has wide-ranging knowledge on all aspects of windfarm development and Graham Lang, an expert on the planning process and cofounder of the East Fife Turbine Awareness Group, which runs a website which maps east Fife turbine proposals.
There will be a question-and-answer forum, and the meeting at 7.15pm on March 1 is free and open to all.
04.21pm - 20.02.2012 Disgruntled - Kirkcaldy, Scotland Report This
Every speaker there, from doing a google search on them, appears to be anti-wind energy. Way to stimulate a balanced and fair debate on the issue...
06.51pm - 20.02.2012 Jo Jenkins - Ansthruther, Scotland Report This
Government, wind developers and PRs tell us endlessly about the advantages of wind but omit the drawbacks and problems. The speakers are not "anti-wind" but critical - for solid, factual reasons. And with no party political agenda and no financial interest. Don't carp - come along and put your point
08.05pm - 20.02.2012 Jock Ferguson - Cupar, Scotland Report This
Disgruntled. Makes a change from subsidy junkies saying 'everyone is in favour' on the basis of a handful of returned survey forms.
09.50pm - 20.02.2012 Jo Jenkins - Ansthruther, Scotland Report This
Politicians, wind developers and PRs promote wind tirelessly while keeping silent about its problems and drawbacks. The speakers are not "anti-wind" but they are critical - their views are based on solid, factual reasons. They have no political agenda or financial interest. Come and make your point!
03.40am - 21.02.2012 Distracted - Newport on Tay, Scotland Report This
I wonder if the wind turbines currently planned for Wormit Hill in Fife and visible along the Tay coastline will be discussed.
09.25am - 21.02.2012 John Burnside - near Arncroach, Scotland Report This
If you knew more about what has been happening here, you would know that this is an attempt to GET balance, after months and years of misinformation and blatant lies from interested landowners, developers, lobbyists and some very dubious 'community development trusts'
10.25am - 21.02.2012 Stuart Allan - Dundee, Scotland Report This
The meeting appears to be a convention of NIMBYs, vested interest and the ill informed. I somehow feel balance is missing How depressing :(
10.42am - 21.02.2012 Thornindaside - perth, scotland Report This
Given Scotland like many countries around the world already have working windfarms it does seem to be late in the day to call it a first public information event.How about a public information roadshow that give insight into the larger picture as the SG strives to fufil it's ambition on renewables.
12.03pm - 21.02.2012 Disgruntled - Kirkcaldy, Scotland Report This
It wont be a balanced fair argument. It will be nothing but a talking shop of people who hate wind turbines. They might not have a political agenda but there is an agenda here, and not a good one. Wind energy is established in Scotland and will grow regardless of pointless meetings like this.
03.13pm - 21.02.2012 Jo - Ansthruther, Scotland Report This
From what I understood the St Andrews event will covert the larger picture of the SG's ambitions on Scottish renewables. Cameron CC is responding to a need expressed by Fifers for accurate unbiased information about the many turbines proposed for here. Why are you attacking freedom of speech?
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