Reasons Why the Proposed Giant’s Burn Wind Farm on Cowal’s Hills is“The Wrong Renewable in the Wrong Location”

1. Damage to Scenic Landscapes / Loss of Visual Amenity

• Gigantic Turbines visible over a vast area
• By height and location will totally dominate views
• replaces natural scenic landscape with an intrusive industrial landscape
• irreversible damage which cannot in any way be “mitigated”

2. Inappropriate Location

• Hill-top placement right above Firth of Clyde
• too close to built-up areas
• too close to National Park (Dunoon as “The Marine Gateway to the National Park”)
• visible to communities all over Argyll & Bute, Inverclyde, and Ayrshire

3. Damage to Vital Tourism Industry

• Cowal is economically fragile and Tourism is the key local sector
• Tourists come because of scenic beauty of the natural landscape
• Tourism gravitates towards the unspoiled areas of Scotland
• Loss of tourism would have devastating impact locally

4. Discourage In-Migration and Depress Property Values

• In-comers vital to retention of population and prosperity
• In-comers come here to enjoy the unspoiled natural beauty
• If the area is dominated by monstrously large turbines, people will not move here
• Property values will fall, especially in areas which previously enjoyed good views
• Built-up areas close to the wind farm will suffer most from loss of property value

5. Adverse Impacts on Health and Well-Being

• Noise, both audible and infrasound, may well affect large numbers of people
• Light Flicker caused by the movement of the giant turbine blades
• Both of these effects can cause serious health problems, short- and long-term
• These constant effects can also seriously erode the quality of life for thousands
• The severity of these effects is magnified by the close proximity of built-up areas

6. Damage to the Natural Environment

• The enormous foundations, access roads, and ancillary works wreak havoc
• Loss of peat is inevitable, releasing CO² and damaging peat land ecology
• The turbines pose a grave threat to bird life and to the protected raptors in the area
• The construction works will seriously disturb water flows and may pollute as well

7. Inconsistency with Earlier Rulings and with Broader Policies

• Prior proposals in 2008/9 (much smaller turbines) were firmly rejected by Public Inquiry
• Proposal in 2014 was eventually dropped after strong opposition
• A wind farm would work against the over-riding local need to retain population and strengthen the economy