Meeting of the Parliament 12 December 2024
The Hill of Fare wind farm proposal has been unanimously opposed by Aberdeenshire Council and the wider community. Over the 50-year lifespan of the project, the developer, Renewable Energy Systems Ltd, would generate around £1.2 billion of income at today’s prices and the landowner, Dunecht Estates, would be paid more than £140 million in rent, while the community benefit would amount to only £26 million. If Dunecht Estates does not withdraw the application by 21 January, there will need to be a public inquiry at further cost to Aberdeenshire Council, despite whistleblowers in Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks telling me that it is already a done deal as they prepare connections.
Does the minister believe that those who profit so obscenely from the destruction of a community should bear the cost of the public inquiry, particularly at a time when councils are so stretched for cash?