VILLAGE SHOP

Update from Tim James

Tarbert has for many years suffered a shortage of appropriate social, shared ownership, and affordable housing and even more so in recent years.

On the outskirts of Tarbert, there is an area (part of Escart Farm) that has been designated for housing on Argyll & Bute Council’s local development plan. Tarbert and Skipness Community trust need signatures of local residents from the PA29 postcode to demonstrate support for a community buyout project.

See the associated leaflet. If you are willing to sign in support of this much needed affordable housing contact Tim James. He needs to collect signatures by Monday 10th May.

Update from Tim James

The six Community Councils of the Kintyre Peninsula and the neighbouring South Knapdale Community Council are saying “Enough is Enough” in the face of increasing numbers of complex planning applications from windfarm developers which will more than double the number of operational windfarms on Kintyre and scar Kintyre’s wild and beautiful landscapes with clusters of gigantic 230 metre (750ft) wind turbines, with little regard for the people who live and work here.

“An Alarming Trend” - They have also seen an alarming trend among some developers who don’t want to pay communities the Scottish Government voluntary community benefit (£5,000 per megawatt installed per annum) or offer effective and fair community shared ownership schemes. These ‘recommended’ schemes need to become mandatory.

Legislation - Woefully inadequate and No Longer Fit for Purpose - The legislation that governs renewable energy developments and infrastructure (sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act 1989) results in applications that are incredibly lengthy; highly technical; full of jargon and technical concepts that are virtually impossible for community councillors to understand and evaluate. It only requires minimal community engagement by developers. It is woefully inadequate and is no longer fit for purpose. 

Jobs – From Hope to Despair - Kintyre’s wind turbine manufacturing plant at Machrihanish once offered the hope of 100+ skilled jobs to this economically challenged area. However, after changing owners several times it is now mothballed.

Windfarms offer few if any local jobs other than those created by our communities with Community Benefit Funding.

A Plan Of Action - The Combined Community Councils are asking the Scottish Government to implement a plan of action as follows:-

• All further wind farm development needs to be delayed while a study of the effects it is having on communities of the Kintyre Peninsula and South Knapdale is carried out.
• Community benefit and shared ownership must be made a mandatory requirement of all future planning proposals for windfarm development.
• The Scottish Government should revise section 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 to incorporate the standards of community engagement shown in the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. 
• Funding to provide professional consultancy, should be made available to all Community Councils that are affected by section 36 and 37 applications.
• The Scottish Government must explore alternative arrangements for the re-opening of the Machrihanish wind turbine factory with a view to getting it back into full production at the earliest possible date.

Our Communities are asking  “Will the Scottish Government support these reasonable proposals and ensure a fairer balance between the needs for greener power and the needs of the remote and rural populations who live and work in the lands needed to generate it?”

 The North Kilbrannan Fish Farm beside Cour Bay is in the final stage of planning before Argyll and Bute Council decide whether to grant planning consent.  Public comments close this Friday.  We have obtained new evidence showing serious problems in the planning process. Please help us by submitting an objection and forward this article to anyone else who might want to help.  

We have commissioned a study which shows that azamethiphos and other pollution from the fish farm will flow into Cour Bay (see Cour_E_wind film below).  

Azamethiphos is an organophosphate poison which is very dangerous for humans (see attached Salmosan data sheet).  The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have issued a CAR Licence which allows the fish farm to use azamethiphos and other chemicals, but they have admitted that they have not assessed the risk to humans swimming near the fish farm (see the EIR Freedom of Information Request below – bottom of page 2 and top of page 3). 

This means that SEPA have failed to comply with The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 which requires them to assess the impact on other marine users before issuing a CAR Licence.  

As a result, the Council may grant planning consent based on faulty and mis-leading evidence from the regulatory authorities. This problem also applies to every fish farm in Scotland which is near to other water users.  

The headline film with this article shows pollution and pink slime being pumped into the sea at the Carradale fish farm, in case you have never seen one in operation.

We need your help by objecting to the Council about the pollution from the fish farm, telling them that they must reject this fish farm on grounds of public safety and bad neighbour policy and if they don’t, it deserves to go to judicial review.

Objections need to be in your own words but please do give a reason to add weight to your objection there are some examples below you could select ones relevant to you:

• Local resident / regular visitor to the area & care about Scotland’s environment.
• SEPA has admitted that they did not assess the impact of organophosphates & other pollution on swimmers & other recreational users before they issued a CAR Licence for this fish farm.
• SEPA has failed to comply with the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 which requires them to assess the impact on other marine users before issuing a CAR Licence.
• You could reference the study which shows how pollution including organophosphates from the fish farm will accumulate in and around Cour Bay.
• Highlight that the product information for azamethiphos shows that it is hazardous to humans and should not be released into the environment.

Closing date for comments to Argyll and Bute Council is 19 Feb.  

Harry Nickerson, Cour Kintyre

We are expecting our first delivery of the AstraZeneca Oxford Vaccine on the 27th of January. On delivery we will begin offering vaccines to the priority groups, following a strict schedule laid down by the public health department. Initially this will be to the over 80’s either at the surgery or at home for house-bound patients.

Patients will be contacted directly by the Surgery and will be given an appointment time to attend.

As vaccine supply continue the priority groups will be called up in order. You may not be vaccinated at the same time as others in your household who may be in a different group from you – your friends and relatives will be invited a soon as their vaccine arrives in the Practice. This vaccine arrives in vials containing 8 does which must be used within a certain time of being opened – please adhere to your appointment time to avoid wastage.

Currently Carradale Surgery has no control over the number of vaccines allocated to our area or when these vaccines will arrive. In the meantime, it is important you DO NOT phone the surgery about vaccinations.

Thank you for your continued patience, and we will be in touch with each patient as their allocated vaccine arrives. We are looking forward to seeing you all for your vaccination. 

ATTENDING YOUR VACCINATION APPOINTMENT 

• Surgery staff will telephone patients to book appointments as clinics will be by appointment only.
• Please wear a short sleeved top and/or loose clothing for easier administration of the vaccine.
• The vaccination clinics for Skipness will be held in Skipness Village Hall.
• Arrive promptly at the hall, but only 1-2 minutes prior to your appointment time. Please do not be late as the vaccine arrives in vials containing 8 doses, which must be used within a certain time of being opened.
• Use the automatic hand sanitiser positioned at the door on arrival.
• You will be met at the door and be provided with a surgical mask covering and directed to one of the two clinicians at your appointment time.
• Please keep all coats, clothing and walking aids etc with you at all times, as items cannot be left at the entrance.
• The toilet willonly be available for emergencies.
• Please adhere to the 2-metre social distancing at all times.
• After your vaccine you will be required to sit for 15 minutes prior to exiting via the main door. If someone has driven you to the surgery, you may opt to sit in your car for the 15 minutes instead.

 If you have COVID symptoms or feel unwell, please do not attend your vaccination appointment. Telephone 01583 431376 to advise ASAP