The group opposing two proposed wind turbines at Dundee Port will flood the city council with letters of protest as soon as plans for them are submitted, a meeting heard.
Around 200 people attended Craigiebank Church for the second gathering of Residents Against Tay Turbines (RATTs), the protest group formed to oppose Forth Energy’s plans for the 400ft structures at Stannergate.
RATTs organiser Bob Adam told those present that a protest letter template was being prepared and would be available to download once the application was lodged.
He said, “So far we have been trying to raise awareness and now we’re taking it to the next level. We have distributed around 12,000 flyers to households and businesses telling them about the proposals.”
The group believes the turbines will be a key issue in next week’s election and plan to grill the candidates at The Courier’s hustings event at the Apex Hotel tomorrow.
The meeting heard statements from most of the prospective candidates whose opinions on the turbines had been canvassed ahead of the meeting.
Scottish Conservative candidate Chris Bustin said, “I am firmly against the wind turbines/biomass plant near the Tay. The project is ill-conceived and will destroy one of the most picturesque river settings of any city in Europe.”
Labour candidate Katrina Murray said, “The views that I have had expressed to me have been overwhelmingly against this proposal.”
Lib Dem candidate Dr Clive Sneddon said, “The Forth Energy proposals seem to be to be a case of the wrong solution in the wrong place.”
SNP candidate Stewart Hosie said, “I am generally very supportive of green energy production including wind energy however, as Forth Ports have not convinced me of the merits of this particular proposal, I cannot give it my support.”
The meeting was told the other candidates had either not responded or had not been reached.Fighting fundRATTs has set up a “fighting fund” to pay for the cost of printing materials and the hire of venues for forthcoming events.
The meeting also heard from Bob Graham from Moray, a long-term campaigner against the inappropriate siting of turbines.
Mr Graham told the audience the “only green thing generated” by wind turbines was money for the companies who built them.
Questions and concerns from residents were discussed, with topics ranging from the impact on house prices to the effect on local wildlife.
Linda Livingstone, who runs the Aberlaw Guest House on Broughty Ferry Road, told the meeting she believed the turbines would be “terrible” for the area and was worried about the effect on tourism.
She said, “People will not want to walk along the waterfront with this on our doorstep. My fear is that if this comes to Dundee it will be visible from all viewpoints.”
The event concluded with a short speech by Professor Andrew Grieve who said the campaigners were involved for “the love of this city and the river on which it stands.”
Urging residents to submit their objection letters he warned, “If you don’t speak up now, you will not get a second chance.”
Forth Energy is expected to submit its planning application for the turbines in the coming weeks. However, a spokeswoman for Forth Energy told The Courier that the submission of the application was “not imminent.”
The local authority has returned letters of objection it has been sent, citing legal guidelines prohibiting it from holding objections until plans are received.