News archive - Week ending 1st February 2008

Third Largest Wind Farm Approved

Permission has been granted for a 68-turbine wind farm at Griffin in Perthshire. The site will become the third largest in Scotland, and will be capable of providing electricity for 114,000 homes. Although initially rejected by Perth and Kinross Council, the Scottish Government has agreed that the wind farm can be built.

Objections were raised about the impact on scenery and local roads being clogged with construction traffic. Energy Minister Jim Mather said: "The decision to approve Griffin wind farm is an important milestone in the government's energy strategy for Scotland which will include the whole renewable mix from biomass to the energy we can generate from wave and tide".

Confusion arose over this acceptance when the Scottish Government issued a press release stating the wind farm had been given the go-ahead, only to withdraw it. However, an official announcement has now confirmed this decision.

SEPA Waste Regulation Consultation

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has released a report on the responses received to its consultation on Better Waste Regulation. An action plan will follow in the Spring. The report consolidates the responses and includes details and associated timescales for the legislation SEPA hopes to be able to influence.
The Better Waste Regulation consultation was issued jointly in March 2007 by the Scottish Government and SEPA to seek views on the current regulatory system and how the system can be improved.

The study concludes that a regime designed around better regulatory principles should:

- eliminate outdated or unnecessary provisions in legislation;

- consolidate, streamline or merge regulatory regimes where possible;

- base regulatory permitting, inspection and enforcement on sound risk principles;

- ensure where companies break the law that enforcement can be swift and effective;

- minimise the administrative burdens on companies and regulators wherever possible;

- empower regulators to enforce regulations in a fair, consistent and proportionate manner;

- promote best practice and advice to regulated companies wherever possible.

Consultation on Proposals for a Scottish Climate Change Bill

The Scottish Government has published a consultation document which sets out its proposals for a Scottish Climate Change Bill and is seeking views on options for the Bill; written responses must be received by the 23 April 2008 deadline.

Among the proposals are a statutory target to reduce Scottish emissions by 80 per cent by 2050

Other proposals include:

- Robust annual scrutiny and reporting of progress - an annual measure of progress in achieving the governments targets

- Creating a framework of carbon budgets for Scottish emissions to set out a pathway towards the 2050 target

- Publishing transparent, robust and independent advice on when, and to what level, cuts in emissions should be made

Lottery Funds Bio-Diesel Minibuses
A local community initiative providing access to transport in rural South Lanarkshire is to use waste vegetable oil to power its new buses which will be funded by the Lottery. The Rural Development Trust (RDT) has been awarded £275,589 to add three mini buses to its existing fleet and to operate new services targeting isolated people in Rutherglen and Cambuslang.

RDT has a bio-diesel plant at its main depot in Douglas Water, which converts waste vegetable oil from local food outlets into a greener bus fuel. Electricity to power the process is generated from RDT's own on-site wind turbine.

Involving Community Groups in Sustainable Development

A new project has been launched with the aim of making sustainable development work for community groups by engaging them in the 'Sus it Out' programme.

Sus it Out is a three-year, national awareness raising programme for community groups. The programme aims to promote greater community participation in the implementation of the Scottish Sustainable Development Strategy, Choosing Our Future. It will be run by the Future Scotland Partnership of which Forward Scotland is a member. Groups can participate by using the Sus it Out Toolkit with a trained facilitator.