Hope for Lewis Peatlands
On Friday 25 January 2008 the Scottish Government ministers indicated in a letter to the developers Lewis Windpower (LWP) that they were "minded to refuse the 181 turbine scheme". The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) welcomed the potential refusal of this development as the only rational recommendation. The Lewis peatlands are strongly protected under both domestic and European law. SWT continues to recommend that the minister refuses consent for this particular application on the grounds it will cause irreversible damage to a legally protected and highly valuable habitat.
In December 2004, SWT objected to the installation of 234 turbines and construction of 104 miles of road on internationally important peatlands on the Isle of Lewis. Despite huge outcry from environmental organisations and the local community, developers resubmitted plans just before Christmas for 181 wind turbines each 140 metres high and 88 miles of road network.
Irreversible damage to habitat and species
 | The natural hydrology of the peatlands will be compromised leading to a deterioration of the habitat and the rich wildlife communities it supports. The density of important bird species in this area will result in significant impacts on species such as golden plover and dunlin which breed on the site.
In addition, active peatlands act as an effective mechanism for fixing and storing carbon. If peatlands are damaged they can release this stored carbon as carbon dioxide adding to global warming.
|
Ignoring European conservation legislation
The Lewis peatlands are some of the most extensive and intact areas of blanket bog on the planet. For this reason it has been awarded the highest levels of protection through the Ramsar Convention and European Habitat Regulations. Damaging the Lewis peatlands in this way contravenes and undermines the legislation set up to protect them.