CLASHINDARROCH UPDATE- THEY ARE LOGGING
Hi All
This is one of the most important updates we will send. As you all know, we have been fighting to stop the construction of the Clashindarroch windfarm for over 6 years. The wind farm is planned to be built by Vattenfall, who are company owned by the Swedish Government. Despite the Clasindarroch being home to a Nationally important population of Scottish wildcats, the Scottish government decided to grant permission for large scale forest clearance and construction of a windfarm, which would industrialise the site. Evidence provided at the Public Inquiry demonstrated that wildcat kittens could be killed and adults displaced during construction.
We campaigned against the utter lunacy of destroying a forest of such importance when there are numerous alternative, bare hills that the windfarm could be built on. We took the case all the way to the highest court in Scotland and also applied to the UK Supreme Court. Much to our collective frustration, our initial case was unsuccessful. We also collectively contacted King Charles who acknowledged the issue but said he couldn’t intervene.
We knew however that Vattenfall could not start forest clearance or operational work, without a strict set to conditions being met and that Aberdeenshire Council had to discharge these conditions. We have been in constant dialogue with the council and were aware that only draft documents of the Species Protection Plans and Habitat Management Plans had been provided by Vattenfall. We have been on standby for the final versions to be uploaded, because if the drafts were anything to go by, they would provide ample scope for legal challenge.
It now transpires that the Council have signed off the conditions despite not receiving final versions of key documents. It is scarcely believable. These same draft documents have also been approved by Nature Scot who regularly promote their wildcat ‘conservation’ efforts.
As you all know we were monitoring for wildcats very recently on the proposed site and our camera was stolen by Vattenfall. They are currently the subject of a criminal investigation. However, it rang alarm bells that they would stoop to such dirty tactics at this time. Our suspicions that they were up to something have now been terrifyingly confirmed.
They have started logging. The council, Nature Scot and the landowners, Forest and land Scotland, are all allowing this to happen, despite no final versions of key documents being provided by Vattenfall. This of course gives Vattenfall free reign. Our lawyers have already sent extremely strong letters to Nature Scot, Forest and land Scotland and Aberdeenshire council, asking for a complete halt to operations, on the basis that it is illegal disturbance. Further letters will be lodged this week as a precursor for legal intervention through the courts.
As we have shown, this whole development has been murky, underhanded and lacked transparency form the start. Wildcat sightings have been withheld, wildcat reports not lodged by Vattenffall, no final versions of key documents provided, theft of our monitoring equipment. I could go on and on. The whole thing stinks.
The only thing that is transparent is that the Scottish government, Forest and Land Scotland and Vattenfall, stand to make tens of million of pounds. Oh and we need to inform you of this. The Scottish Minister, Mairi McAllan, had only been in post for around 3 months, before she signed off the windfarm. She is now the Housing Secretary. You really couldn’t’ make this stuff up. The current minister for Climate Action and Energy is Gillian Martin MSP.
At times like this is important to keep clear heads and be laser focussed on our actions. The logging so far is not extensive and we need to keep it that way. We stand at a crossroads. We can walk away having put a up an exceptional challenge for over 6 years. Or, we can choose to fight on harder than ever before. WE CHOOSE TO FIGHT ON WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE GOT. Our team of lawyers are as determined as we are to stop this and will use every legal mechanism they can to halt the destruction. We will move things as fast as possible from a legal perspective. As you have done before, we call upon you all to support our campaign and resource our legal team to work flat out. This is not over yet, not by a long way. The Clashindarroch wildcats need your help like never before. You can support out crowdfunder at:
https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/wildcats/
Once we lodge further legal letters with the government, we will ask you to contact the Cabinet Minister, Gillian Martin, to ask her to stop a development that threatens a nationally important population of Scotland’s most iconic and endangered animal.
We are also in touch with Swedish conservation and welfare organisations who have helped apply pressure before. Droves of Vattenfall’s customers changed energy suppliers as a result. They are ready to help again.
We will keep you posted and rest assured we are making our presence felt in the forest. We have already stopped logging in one area of the forest, now we need to stop it altogether.
With your help we can still win this. We will never give up. If we walk away now, then the wildcats will be doomed and we just can’t let that happen. We know that you can’t either.
Many thanks as always
Emily and an extremely determined Wildcat Haven Team