RSPB Scotland has said its decision to pursue a legal case to overturn planning consent for 2.1GW of offshore wind farms in the country “clearly fulfils” its charitable role and is an effort to “strengthen democratic accountability”.
Director Anne McCall, writing in today’s Times newspaper, said suggestions it was acting in an “undemocratic” fashion “are wide of the mark”.
McCall said there is “no doubt” that damage to seabird populations from the 450MW Neart na Gaoithe, 600MW Inch Cape and 1050MW Seagreen projects would be “extremely significant”.
The bird charity filed a case earlier this week seeking a hearing with the UK Supreme Court in an effort to overturn planning permission for the projects.
“This risk of harm to birds, and thus our charitable objects, is one which the RSPB must challenge,” McCall said.
The charity has “major concerns” with how bird death figures were calculated and the decision by Scottish Ministers to approve the three wind farms, she added.
“RSPB Scotland’s decision to challenge the Scottish ministers’ approval of four wind farms in the Firth of Forth aims to strengthen democratic accountability and clearly fulfils our charitable objects,” she wrote.
“Suggestions that our actions are undemocratic are wide of the mark. Charities like us exist to deliver public benefit, such as protecting wildlife, and have a duty to challenge public bodies’ decisions which threaten to make those charitable objects significantly more difficult to achieve.”
Image: reNEWS
RSPB defends Scots offshore case
Supreme Court bid is attempt to ‘strengthen democratic accountability'
By EBS