The BMC held a successful meeting for climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers on Saturday 10th September to discuss our current position on wind turbines in the uplands.

The seminar, ‘Sustainable Energy, Sustainable Landscapes’, chaired by Steve Evison, was attended by over 60 climbers, walkers and mountaineers at the Electric Mountain Visitor Centre, Llanberis.

The idea of the day was to canvas opinion from those with an interest in our uplands on why, how, where or when should the BMC get involved in the wind farm debate and if the BMC should take a stronger line in protecting our landscapes from all developments. Four presentations were heard from external speakers, including John Constable, Renewable Energy Foundation; Steve Salt, West Coast Energy & Adam Bell, Renewable UK and Helen McDade, John Muir Trust.

Following the presentations, there was then the opportunity for members and others with an interest in our mountain and upland landscapes to express their views in a series of small workshops where groups were asked to consider where, when ,why and how the BMC should be more involved. Overall it was felt that;

• The BMC represent those people who value and enjoy the unique qualities of mountain and upland landscapes – for this reason we should be more involved;
   
• The BMC is an independent body and is not affiliated to a specific area or organisation and therefore should be the voice for all of our valued landscapes;
    
• The BMC should develop clear, illustrative (rather then definitive) criteria for when to get involved;
   
• The BMC’s grounds for opposition to wind farms should be primarily based on landscape and amenity impacts and aesthetic factors – focussing on the effects of proposals on the mountain environment;
   
• The BMC should increase its partnership working with other like-minded organisations;
   
• BMC members need to be more active in their local area and voice opinions at local area meetings;
   
• The BMC should develop a wider policy on the protection of land from developments in wild areas;
   
• The BMC should consider adopting a more positive position on individual or small scale community based wind farm developments as well as other forms of non-mountain based renewable energy.

The results from the day’s events will now be looked at in detail but we would like to invite more BMC members to comment. We have proposed a number of simple questions and would welcome your views on those questions set out below;

1. Why should the BMC be involved?
2. Where should the BMC get be involved?
3. When should the BMC get involved?
4. How should the BMC become involved?

We would encourage as many members as possible to respond to these as they will help develop BMC policy in the future. Please email your response to wind@thebmc.co.uk by Friday October 7th.

In conjunction with the above call for further comments, the BMC will also be undertaking a small questionnaire to a random sample of BMC members. The combined results will then be considered by a specialist task and finish group who will produce a draft policy for consideration by the BMC’s National Council in December.

Next steps

• Invite initial comments/observations from members with a deadline of Friday 7th October;
   
• Undertake a small scale membership questionnaire (random 200-300 people) in October; 
   
• The BMC ACEG will set up a specialist working group to consider the responses and draft an updated policy statement;
   
• Put the updated statement to the BMC Areas for discussion in November;
   
• Have a discussion about the Area feedback at National Council on 3 December and decide whether we are in a position to adopt a new policy statement or whether further work is needed.

Many thanks to those who attended the seminar on a very windy Saturday – your contributions have been invaluable.
 

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