Highland community councils persuade 11 MPs and MSPs to take renewables fight to Holyrood and Westminster at packed, passionate Inverness meeting
Eleven MPs and MSPs have backed calls for “urgent debates” in Holyrood and Westminster over the impact of renewable energy developments in the Highlands.
Hundreds of people attended the meeting organised by more than 57 community councils left frustrated and angry that their areas are being deluged in projects.
It is the second convention of its kind spearheaded by Aird and Loch Ness Conservative Councillor Helen Crawford, the first was held in Beauly in June.
The aims of the convention were to impress upon lawmakers the depth of feeling some areas have about the impact of renewable projects and most turned up.
LibDem MPs Jamie Stone and Angus MacDonald, the SNP’s Graham Leadbitter and Labour’s Torcuil Crichton were there.
Inverness and Nairn MSP Fergus Ewing, who is now running as an independent after refusing to stand for the SNP, attended.
As did the SNP MSPs Maree Todd and Emma Roddick and Conservative MSPs Tim Eagle, Jamie Halcro Johnston, Edward Mountain and Douglas Ross.
It also sought to get the MPs and MSPs to take back to their respective parliaments a pledge to secure “urgent debates” on how those projects are being implemented.
On both counts it succeeded as no one on the panel could possibly have left without a strong sense of local frustration and it secured a pledge for those debates (see below).
The calls from campaigners to politicians over renewable energy but will they listen?
During the substantive part of the debate when community council largely had their say it became clear that there were red lines for many of those present.
Some present, though not a majority, appeared to jeer at the mention of climate change.
The audience was in no mood to listen to arguments in favour of community benefit and those that tried to talk-up the potential upside received a harsh reaction.
Liberal Democrat MP Angus MacDonald and SNP MSP Emma Roddick were booed from the floor due to speaking up for community benefit.
What appeared to anger those gathered was unclear until the chairperson of Kiltarlity community council Susan Ogston expressed what many were feeling in the room – that community benefit amounts to crumbs from the table.
She said: “Our unified statement represents the voices of over 80,000 people across the Highlands – that is not a number to be brushed aside.
“It is a clear and urgent signal that this issue demands attention not just locally but nationally and I speak for every one of those 80,000 Highlanders when I say no financial compensation can ever replace what we stand to lose.”
Inverness and Nairn MSP Fergus Ewing – who will be running as an independent in 2026 – undoubtedly caught the mood of the room.
He argued strongly that the whole rush to renewables has been conducted without the correct level of consideration into how much development was needed.
“To get the right answers in politics one has to start off by asking the right questions. How much power do we need? What should the mix be?
“How much of it should be renewable? How much should be stored and how much back-up? How much wind is enough? And how much wind is too much? How much storage do we have?”
But as one community council member said afterwards he “really hit the nail on the head” so far as the convention was concerned when he told them what he would do.
“We haven't got much time so what will I do? Well, I don't have to consult party bosses anymore to work out what I think. I don't have to consult the committee.
“I'll tell you what. I think: there's a lack of democracy in the Highlands about planning matters to do with renewables. The lack of any government minister accepting the invitation to come here today is quite shocking.”
He added: “A cross-party group of the main parties would be a good way to advance the cause working together across the main parties to get a fairer democratic system in the Highlands.”
Edward Mountain was just as vociferous relating how SSEN approached him over a compulsory purchase on his farm which he said: “Arrogant would be an understatement.”
He said: “I also want to make it clear that one of the biggest problems, I believe, in Scotland is we started down the renewable energy system with no plan.
“We have no idea and put these battery storage sites. We have no idea. The government had no idea, they just let commercial developers come in and try and go for the best spot.
Which is why the point has been made that £170 million was paid in the first six months of this year because wind farms couldn't generate and that comes out of your pocket, out of my pocket and the other energy users pockets and it's certainly not good.”