Crofters aim to use land law to block wind farm

Crofters opposed to a £30m wind farm planned for the Isle of Skye have found a novel way to prevent it: buying the site chosen for the 27 turbines.

Land reform legislation passed earlier this year by the Scottish Parliament gives crofting communities the right to buy land, whether or not the landowner wishes to sell. A meeting is planned for tomorrow night in Skye to see whether enough people are prepared to fund such a plan.

Among those against the plan for the turbine farm in Edinbane, on the north-west of the island, is Sir Jeremy Isaacs, a former chief executive of Channel 4. He bought a holiday home on the island in 2001 and last November was among 200-plus objectors to the scheme, planned by the power company Amec, the Skye estate owner Ruaridh Hilleary, and Edinbane Estate Wind Farm Ltd.

The group lost the appeal, despite quoting studies that found nearly one third of tourists said they would not return to an area studded by wind turbines. The proposal is for a hillside to support turbines 100 metres high, able to generate more than 47MW of electricity – enough, according to Amec, to generate clean, renewable energy for more than 30,000 homes.

The Scottish Executive wants to increase the amount of electricity generated from renewable sources in Scotland to 18 per cent by 2010, and the Amec proposal finally received approval from the Highland Council last year after seven years' planning. Amec wants to start installing the turbines this year, and have them in operation by 2004.

But opponents argue that the farm will ruin the island's unique landscape and dissuade tourists. John Hodgson, chairman of the Skye Wind Farm Action Group, which opposes the scheme, said: "We believe the crofters and local community are being shafted by an absentee landlord and Amec."

Skye crofters believe the wind farm deal is less lucrative than it appears and that a buyout of the land under the land reform legislation might be a better way forward. One crofter said the companies involved "will be getting millions from this wind farm but want to give us very little. A buyout is definitely being considered and the Land Reform Bill has given us ammunition."

Peter Prall, a guest house owner and accountant, said: "What is being offered to the crofters is a relatively small amount compared to the large sums Amec is going to make."

Mr Hilleary said that while he knew a buyout of the estate land might be possible, it would take months before the new law came into force. "The estate is not on the market and it will take some months for the legislation to enable people to buy it compulsorily to be implemented, so I think it's a bit academic."

But the crofters opposed to the scheme reckon that a buyout could at least double their income from the land if the turbines were installed – and might also give them leverage to get the project scaled back.

Tourism businesses on the island say the wind farm would ruin the industry and have demanded that the Scottish Executive compensate them.

John Price, of Amec's wind energy business, was unavailable for comment.