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.”