‘We are shouting as loud as we can’ – Ardross statement draws rallying support at Highland community councils convention
A powerful speech from the representative for Ardross Community Council prompted a rousing response at a major Highland convention in Beauly on Saturday, as more than 300 attendees gathered to voice concerns over the impact of large-scale energy developments on rural communities.
Delivering one of the most emotive statements of the day, Sheila Campbell-Lloyd battled emotion as she told delegates at Phipps Hall that Ardross was being “overwhelmed” by a wave of windfarms, battery storage projects and transmission infrastructure surrounding the village.
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Her comments were met with loud applause and calls of encouragement from the floor, as community council representatives from across the Highlands rallied behind her emotional message.
“The Ardross community are feeling overwhelmed,” she said. “Whilst the Ceislein Windfarm adjacent to Fyrish is the most notable and a red line for the community, we currently have seven windfarm schemes in scoping or planning around our area, added to the five that are already in place or being constructed.”
She described turbines of up to 250 metres tall, lit at night, alongside eight proposed battery storage facilities, a hydrogen plant, and the Spittal–Loch Buidhe–Beauly transmission line.
“All of this literally surrounding a small community of around 600 people,” she said, “who are shouting as loud as we can, but feeling our voice is just not being heard.
“Each public consultation feels like a box ticking exercise,” she said. “We are not against renewable energy. We just want it to be planned sensibly, with a coherent strategy that looks at cumulative impact.
“Enough is enough. We need to press the pause button, step back and really consider what we are doing – because when our beautiful countryside is lost, it will be lost forever.”
Ms Campbell-Lloyd’s remarks were echoed by fellow representatives from across Easter Ross who spoke at the event.
Gordon Shand of Muir of Ord Community Council warned that four infrastructure projects and two major housing developments were now in progress or planning stages for the area. He raised concerns about traffic impacts and a lack of coordination, saying: “Without an overview of what’s coming, we’re running blind.”
John Heathcoate of Contin Community Council outlined the scale of disruption expected from the Spittal to Beauly overhead line and associated projects.
He highlighted the potential closure of Contin Forest during construction, a key local amenity and host of the Strathpuffer cycle race, and warned of the strain on village traffic.
“All roads to the northwest Highlands will pass under the new transmission line,” he said.
Invergordon’s Sally Northern described how the Port of Cromarty Firth’s role in transporting turbine components means the town is indirectly affected by projects from across the Highlands.
She pointed to the challenge of responding to complex planning documents with no additional support or resources.
“We never imagined we’d be monitoring applications from Skye to Sutherland,” she said.
Also voicing support from Torridon and Kinlochewe Community Council was Caroline Hamilton, warning that without local involvement at the highest level, “our very democracy is under threat.”
Saturday’s convention, which was attended by 53 community councils representing over 72,000 Highland residents, concluded with a unanimous vote in support of a joint declaration calling for a national planning inquiry and an immediate pause on major infrastructure applications until proper impact assessments are undertaken.
