Cree Valley Community Council

Our Local Community Council – (CVCC)

RES Community Liaison Group – 09/04/2024 Minutes 1024 768 Hands Off Our Hills

RES Community Liaison Group – 09/04/2024 Minutes


RES has instituted a Community Liaison Group (CLG) with the objective of establishing a platform for deliberation and the exchange of information. The primary purpose of this group is to foster an efficient channel of communication among RES, the local community, and stakeholders. Membership in the CLG will comprise locally elected representatives, community groups, and other pertinent stakeholders.

It is imperative to underscore that Hands Off Our Hills maintains NO affiliation or alignment with any of the member groups or participants associated with the RES Community Liaison Group. This initiative is perceived by us as a farcical public relations endeavour employed by RES to modify their planning application in response to community concerns and to gather additional information regarding opposition sentiments.

Consequently, it should come as no surprise that we will persist as vocal opponents of this corporate undertaking.

Hands Off Our Hills has uploaded a copy of these minutes to our servers and the 9th April 2024 : 7:00pm – 9:00pm are now available for viewing by clicking on the image below:

RES Community Liaison Group – 27/02/2024 Minutes 1024 768 Hands Off Our Hills

RES Community Liaison Group – 27/02/2024 Minutes


RES has instituted a Community Liaison Group (CLG) with the objective of establishing a platform for deliberation and the exchange of information. The primary purpose of this group is to foster an efficient channel of communication among RES, the local community, and stakeholders. Membership in the CLG will comprise locally elected representatives, community groups, and other pertinent stakeholders.

It is imperative to underscore that Hands Off Our Hills maintains NO affiliation or alignment with any of the member groups or participants associated with the RES Community Liaison Group. This initiative is perceived by us as a farcical public relations endeavour employed by RES to modify their planning application in response to community concerns and to gather additional information regarding opposition sentiments.

Consequently, it should come as no surprise that we will persist as vocal opponents of this corporate undertaking.

Hands Off Our Hills has uploaded a copy of these minutes to our servers and the 27th Feb 2024 : 7:00pm – 9:10pm are now available for viewing by clicking on the image below:

RES Community Liaison Group Meeting – Minutes 1024 768 Hands Off Our Hills

RES Community Liaison Group Meeting – Minutes


RES has instituted a Community Liaison Group (CLG) with the objective of establishing a platform for deliberation and the exchange of information. The primary purpose of this group is to foster an efficient channel of communication among RES, the local community, and stakeholders. Membership in the CLG will comprise locally elected representatives, community groups, and other pertinent stakeholders.

It is imperative to underscore that Hands Off Our Hills maintains NO affiliation or alignment with any of the member groups or participants associated with the RES Community Liaison Group. This initiative is perceived by us as a farcical public relations endeavour employed by RES to modify their planning application in response to community concerns and to gather additional information regarding opposition sentiments.

Consequently, it should come as no surprise that we will persist as vocal opponents of this corporate undertaking.

Hands Off Our Hills has uploaded a copy of these minutes to our servers and the 17th Jan 2024 : 7:00pm – 8:40pm are now available for viewing by clicking on the image below:

Cree Valley Community Council accused of conflict 900 515 Hands Off Our Hills

Cree Valley Community Council accused of conflict

A Galloway community council is at the centre of conflict of interest claims over its stance regarding two wind turbine developments proposed within its area.

Cree Valley has placed on record its strong criticisms over plans for 40 turbines up to 820 feet high on moorland sites north of Minnigaff and Glenvernoch, at nearby Bargrennan.

In its submission to the Scottish Government’s energy consents unit, members cited “deep concerns” over tourism impacts of huge wind farms bordering Galloway Forest Park and unspoiled wild land.

Possible adverse impacts on Newton Stewart as the Gateway to the Galloway Hills, the Galloway and South Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere and the Galloway Dark Sky Park were also raised.

However, according to 1,600–member campaign group Hands Off Our Hills (HOOH), CVCC office bearers also head the Cree Valley Area Development Trust – a private company which accepted a £2,000 donation from Blair Hill developers RES.

In addition, HOOH states that CVCC agreed to sign up to RES’ proposed “community liaison group” at its January 8 meeting – a move it claims undermines CVCC’s publicly stated position.

Coordinator Kenny Campbell has now lodged a complaint with Dumfries and Galloway Council alleging that CVCC “has failed in a number of respects to adhere to the standards demanded under the scheme for the establishment of community councils”.

Mr Campbell states: “The chair, secretary and treasurer of CVCC are all directors of Cree Valley Area Development Trust (CVADT).

“CVADT have accepted money from RES.

“We believe this is a clear conflict of interest and believe these conflicting interests have not been disclosed to the relevant authority (council ward officers) and widely shared within the community.

“This conflict has been recently demonstrated by CVCC firmly objecting to proposals for industrial wind turbines for sites just outside Newton Stewart, while CVADT accepted £2,000 from RES, one of the wind industry development companies.

“This, despite CVCC having been repeatedly warned how this would appear to the company and wider community.”

Mr Campbell adds: “This behaviour has called into question the integrity of the whole community council and embroiled them in a conflict which was not of their making. On January 8 it was also decided without a vote that CVCC would engage with RES in their community liaison group.

“The community council is fully aware that there is very strong opposition to any form of engagement with these companies. Yet they have chosen to ignore this and the treasurer will be in attendance, the same treasurer who is a CVADT director.”

In response, Cree Valley Community Council convenor Clifford Smithers said: “CVCC feel the need to make it clear that we have not objected to any of the local windfarm proposals.

“We raised a number of queries with the developers in response to their scoping report.

“Our attending the RES community liaison group is entirely consistent with our stated position Due to the importance of the complaint we are unable to supply you with any information until the complaint procedure is complete.”

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Hands Off Our Hills Brave The Cold To Hold A demonstration 1024 768 Hands Off Our Hills

Hands Off Our Hills Brave The Cold To Hold A demonstration
About 40 people with placards and banners pitched up outside the MacMillan Hall, where developers RES were holding their first community liaison group for the Blair Hill Wind farm scheme. – (c)2024 Fiona Reid – DNGONLINE.co.uk

ANTI windfarm campaigners braved the cold to hold a demonstration in Newton Stewart on Wednesday (17 January 2024) evening. About 40 people with placards and banners pitched up outside the MacMillan Hall, where developers RES were holding their first community liaison group for the Blair Hill Wind Farm scheme.

Demonstration - No New Turbines
No new turbines stencil was made by Andrew Hockenhull

The passionate opponents had even composed a special anti turbine song for the occasion, which was periodically sung with gusto.

Organiser Kenny Campbell, of the Hands Off Our Hills group, described it as “an effective protest”.

He said yesterday:

“An enormous heartfelt thanks to all those hardy souls who turned out in seriously freezing conditions to demonstrate outside the RES so-called ‘Community Liaison Group’“.

Mr Campbell had declined an invitation to be part of the liaison group, which he has described as a “charade” and “a process completely weighted in favour of the company, landowners and other ‘interested parties’“.

Demonstration Andrew Hockenhull holding his stencil no new turbines
Campaigner: Andrew Hockenhull holding his stencil ‘no new turbines’

He added: “The demonstration was respectful but clear regarding our message, no doors were blocked but we let people know we won’t allow this devastation to happen.”

Launching the community liaison RES Group, said “it was intended to provide a forum for discussion and exchange of information, as well as to create an effective channel of communication between RES, the local community and stakeholders”.

HOOH Campaigners holding their placards in demonstration about Blair Hill Wind Farm RES Community Liasion Group Meeting
HOOH Campaigners holding their placards

The agenda for this week’s inaugural meeting included a project update and question and answer sessions.

The Blair Hill scheme is proposing 22 turbines at a site six kilometres north of Newton Stewart.

Hands Off Our Hills - Demonstration - Blair Hill Wind Farm - RES Community Liasion Group Meeting
Community liaison group RES – 17th Jan 2024 1024 768 Hands Off Our Hills

Community liaison group RES – 17th Jan 2024

Community liaison GROUP MEETING Tomorrow – Wednesday 17th January 2024

We know how you all love a get together, particularly when it involves letting those lovely folk from RES know what you think and feel about their awful proposal for our hills.

They may have been upset about our refusal to join their “community liaison group” (CLG) and that might be the reason it slipped their mind to let the COMMUNITY know the first CLG is tomorrow. It’s fine, we forgive them for this tiny oversight.

However, though it will be dark and cold if you’d like to come along to the Macmillan Hall, tomorrow (Wednesday 17 January 2024) from 5.30pm ish there will be an opportunity to show the company, elected members and other voluntary CLG members your total rejection of these plans. Very short notice but we only found out about this a couple of hours ago.

The demonstration will be respectful but clear regarding our message, no doors will be blocked but we’ll let people know we won’t allow this devastation to happen.

Bring a flask, yer bonnet and yer voice.

Hands Off Our Hills - Dark Logo
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