RES Group

Blair Hill Wind Farm Nr Newton Stewart

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:

Emma Harper MSP visits Blair Hill – Glenvernoch  1024 768 Hands Off Our Hills

Emma Harper MSP visits Blair Hill – Glenvernoch 
On Friday 15th March 2024 SNP MSP Emma Harper visited Blair Hill alongside two of our admins and Jack and Elaine Burton and their son Robert to discuss the concerns we all share with regards to RES current plans for the Industrial Turbine Site. They all went straight out onto the hill so everyone could get a feel for the area that would be destroyed and the sheer scale of what the turbines would be like around them.

Blair Hill, Glenvernoch and Balunton were all discussed with Emma and her team when it came to peat removal, noise, flicker and flooding. Also, how the laws of noise and turbines are no longer relevant when it comes to todays giant sized turbines given the laws were created and last looked at in 1997.

Donna with Emma Harper Discussing the concerns about Blair Hill Wind Farm
Donna Stewart from Hands Off Our Hills Explaining The Concerns Of The Proposed Blair Hill Industrial Wind Site

Our representatives explained that there should be a suspension of all Industrial Turbine Sites and developments until up-to-date policies and research is completed.

We believe this has been a very positive meeting with Emma and her team where she took on board all our concerns and went away with lots of action points and the reassurance that her inbox is always open and to please make contact if there are any concerns. Emma plans to contact RES and most probably Energiekontor for views and issues to be heard and discussed.

Kenny Campbell Hands Off Our Hills Co-ordinator had this to say after our meeting:

“Thanks to Emma Harper MSP and her team for coming to meet us today. Seeing the land that will be destroyed, and the effect on those who will somehow have to live beside 250 metre high turbines clearly had an impact. They agreed to speak with the relevant ministers, and we look forward to hearing the outcomes.”

Hands Off Our Hills would like to take the time to also thank Jack, Elaine and Robert Burton for allowing us to come and visit alongside Emma Harper MSP and our team.

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:

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
Blair Hill Wind Farm – Proposal At Wigtown County 810 539 Hands Off Our Hills

Blair Hill Wind Farm – Proposal At Wigtown County
BLAIR HILL WIND FARM – A large number of local people arrived  at the Wigtown County Buildings to view the proposals for aN Industrial Turbine SITE (BLAIR HILL WIND FARM) development in the Galloway Hills.

Blair Hill a proposed developement by RES held a public engagement event on Wednesday, which came after another one at Newton Stewart on Tuesday.

RES, who are based in Hertfordshire, are looking to construct 22 turbines up to 820 feet high around Blair Hill. It is proposed for moorland and woodland north of Old Minnigaff.

In Wigtown, Hands Off Our Hills members held a vigil outside as the event began.

Wigtown man Tony Riden said: “I have worked in nature conservation for 35 years and am a member of Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, the Scottish Ornithology Club and the RSPB.  The moor is precious habitat and home to species like golden eagle, curlew, marsh harrier, golden plover and redshank.  There has also been black grouse recorded on Barclye Moor.”

In the hall, construction worker David Cannon, also from Wigtown, was undecided.

He said: “I’m on the fence about the whole thing. I see it from a construction point of view and the work it would bring to the firm I would work for and other firms round about.

“But I know the turbines are very much in your face and I can understand the arguments why they are unacceptable.”

Pam Hughes from Newton Stewart was firmly against.

She said: “I’m stone mad. What about all the peat beds getting dug out for the turbine foundations? The water that the peat would otherwise soak up running into the rivers?”

Blair Hill - Campaigners hold their placards against the proposed site.
Campaigners: Angela and Sheron Not Only Fighting The Turbines But Also The Weather

Arthur Scott, also from Wigtown, wanted people to ask a question.

“Who benefits from this?“

Morag Donnan, from Sorbie, said: “I’m angry. They state there’s a nature crisis and trying to preserve all these rare species in their natural habitats.

“Yet these huge great machines are going to be brought in. All this concrete they are going to pour is going to affect all the water courses.”

Heather Bourne, from Polbae near the Knowe, lives close to Kilgallioch Wind Farm.

 “The turbines sound like a jet engine with a whoosh. I wake up suddenly at night and I don’t know why. I’m horrified at this.”

The Galloway News did find one woman who was very much in favour but she did not wish to be quoted.

An RES spokesperson said afterwards: “We’re still in the early stages of designing the proposed Blair Hill Wind Farm and the feedback received will be used to help refine the proposals.

“We would like to thank everyone for attending and for showing an interest in the project. RES has lots of experience of using the local supply chain in Dumfries and Galloway to construct wind farms and if consented, we expect the project would invest in excess of £6 million in the local economy. During the operational life of the windfarm it would also pay around £1.5 million in business rates, every year, supporting vital local services.”

He went on to say “We look forward to working with the community as we progress the proposals, to discuss the design as it evolves and to understand how the community would like to benefit from the proposed community benefits package, which could include our Local Electricity Discount Scheme (LEDS).”

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