We have recently been contacted by an activist group in Angus over the issue of pylons and the national grid infrastructure in general. The complaints are the same – no effective consultation and no concern about the effect on local communities. Even attempts by local authorities to help engage public opinion have been brushed away.
It seems that, as well as being secretive about what’s happening, the authorities (in London) have not themselves engaged in joined-up thinking. There is no credible plan for the wholesale move to wind power, no assessment either of what’s needed or where to put it and no planning for the overall consequences of what seems to be very largely in the private sector. This could have disastrous results for the natural environment and our quality of life. And it doesn’t even look as if our energy bills are going to come down.
About a year ago we helped put together a discussion group to work on establishing a national committee to work on a common response to the proposals not just for pylons but for the huge DC conversion plants and battery storage systems. Sadly, the organiser, Joan Duncan, passed away before a central committee could be formed.
The proposal now is to link those who took part in the earlier meetings and to help set up central co-ordination. In addition to the Scotland Decides platform, we would link with Respect Scottish Sovereignty (RSS) who can provide substantial additional advice and help in setting up local assembly groups.
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Strathpeffer & Contin FB –Dan Bailey
Echt & Dunecht FB – Di Forbes
Deeside against Pylons FB – Cliff Grover
Coldstream Community Group FB – Lynne Bilton
https://www.noblehouse.scot/ - Denise Borland
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By the way, one small commune close to where I live in the Swiss Alps (Salvan - 1,500 population, very tourist-dependent) has just successfully blocked SwissGrid, the national / public electricity infrastructure provider, from constructing pylons on its territory. It now looks likely that SwissGrid is going to have to install underground cabling...
It would be interesting to know how many activists have signed up to petitions and / or social media groups within the associations mentioned. The generally accepted international threshold to launch a referendum of the entire electorate (i.e. Local, Regional or National) - to which the People are entitled under the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights (ICCPR) ratified by the UK in 1976 but never implemented - is around 1% of the applicable electorate. If any of these groups are close to this benchmark, I suggest they should seriously consider invoking ICCPR in front of the authorities and politicians concerned. Direct Democracy (DD) is a Human Right under ICCPR Art 25 - which is being carefully ignored…