Scottish wind farm policy is undemocratic- your views

Does rural Scotland have anyone to speak for them?

Policy encourages Scottish wind farms

If a foreigner were to look at a map of wind farms and current wind farm applications in the UK, I think they would assume a helpless Scotland had had them all dumped on their glorious landscape by a Westminster government.

I think they would find it inexplicable that a Scottish Nationalist government had driven this policy.

A once proudly democratic nation does not have the same rights as people in England.

Vattenfall's managing director of onshore wind was quoted as saying Scotland is seen as having an “open door policy” and the kind of stable environment in terms of policy that encourages firms to develop wind arms in the country.

“England has primarily pushed everything off-shore,” noted Mr Elsworth, adding: “It has introduced policy which is quite a barrier to development: The requirement for demonstrable local support of over 50 per cent and demonstrating that your wind farms are captured in local development plans, they’re quite significant hurdles.”

Shouldn't locals in Scotland have the same rights? Shouldn't legally binding Local Plans, which take years and consultations to prepare, be adhered to

Why should local councils have to pay, out of our council tax, for public inquiries to uphold our Local Plans?

A single unelected government Reporter with ministerial approval with an "open door policy" decides these inquiries.

The wind industry has taken advantage of lockdown and is pushing ahead with expansion while there can be no proper public consultation or live public inquiries.

Does rural Scotland have anyone to speak for them? Wake up Scotland. This is your country.

Celia Hobbs, Peebles Road, Penicuik.

Start planning now to reopen borders

Since it has taken almost 10 months to finally close our borders to international travel, it would be refreshing to see a government now starting to plan for their re-opening.

It may some months away yet but as Ms Sturgeon has said "there is no doubt that the light (at the end of the tunnel) is more visible than it has been". What would be required for travel? Proof of a recent negative Covid test and two (UK approved) Covid vaccinations? That will take time, which is why they should be working on that now. The travel and hospitality sectors are on their knees. They and the rest of the Scottish economy, need the stimulus that would undoubtedly arise. Is this too much to ask?

David Hughson, Auchingane, Edinburgh.

Help to end cruelty to racehorses

Animal Aid is at the fore-front in campaigning for race horses. Figures just released by Animal Aid for 2020 show shocking deaths and whip abuse across racecourses in Great Britain.

Readers may be surprised to know that 130 racehorses were killed as a result of racing in 2020. Animal Aid’s Horse Deathwatch website names racing’s victims and the circumstances surrounding their fatal races.

We have also led the campaign to ban the use of the whip. Racing allows jockeys to hit their horses for ‘encouragement’ with seven strikes ‘acceptable’ in a Flat race and eight strikes in a Jump race.

Alarmingly, these rules are repeatedly broken year-on-year. In 2020 there were 299 breaches of the rules for hitting horses above the strike limits or on the ‘wrong’ part of their body or for using excessive force. To find out more visit: http://www.animalaid.org.uk/banwhip

Fiona Pereira, Animal Aid, Tonbridge.