Hebrides Ramsar site threatened by wind farm

22/11/2006 00:00:00 The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) has urged the public to help prevent irreversible damage to one of Scotland’s most important wetland sites. Proposed plans for an industrial scale wind farm on the Isle of Lewis are being considered that will destroy some of the most extensive and intact areas of blanket bog on the planet.

In December 2004, SWT objected to the installation of 234 turbines and construction of 104 miles of road on the Isle of Lewis. Despite huge outcry from environmental organizations and the local community, developers (Lewis Wind Power: British Energy/AMEC) resubmitted plans just before Christmas 2006 for 181 wind turbines, each 140 metres high, as well as an 88 miles of road network on an area designated for its special wildlife. Stuart Brooks, Head of Conservation at SWT said: ‘While the Scottish Wildlife Trust supports the use of renewable energy alternatives, this is this is the last place the Scottish Executive should be considering an application. Lewis is one of the best sites for wildlife in Britain.

It is not just the wind turbines that are the problem. More lasting environmental impacts will be caused by the infrastructure to support the wind farm such as cabling underground, turbine foundations, roads and electrical substations. Peat takes thousands of years to mature and is an effective mechanism for fixing and storing carbon. If peat bogs are damaged they can release this stored carbon as carbon dioxide adding to global warming.’

‘Lewis peatlands has been awarded the highest levels of protection through the Ramsar Convention and European Habitat Regulations. Damaging them in this way contravenes and undermines the legislation set up to protect them. Should this application go ahead, the development will have significant impacts on wildlife, especially birds such as the golden plover and the dunlin that breed on the site.’