Industry hits back following Donald Trump’s wind farm claims

CLAIMS that wind farms will damage the Scottish tourism industry are based on “emotion, hysteria and conjecture”, MSPs have been told by industry representatives.

It comes the day at Donald Trump, the US tycoon, said plans to build turbines off the Aberdeenshire coast would “completely end” tourism in the country.

Stephen Leckie, chairman of the Scottish Tourism Alliance which represents industry firms, was at Holyrood’s Energy Committee today.

It is looking at the Scottish Government’s renewable energy targets.

He told members of the committee that up-to-date research-based evidence was needed to assess any impact wind turbines have on the experience of people who come to Scotland.

Asked by committee convener Murdo Fraser about the extent to which tourists were concerned or deterred by wind farms, Mr Leckie said: “There is little evidence. Much of the argument so far has been from the emotional side. Everyone has a view but on research-based data evidence, there is very little in tourism terms.”

He told MSPs that there were around 130 wind farms, with 24 under construction, another 104 which have planning permission and 177 in planning stage.

But despite the increasing number, he claimed there were many unanswered questions surrounding the impact of wind farms.

The last research, he said, was carried out in 2007 and “way out of date”.

He said: “So what we hear is the extreme views, the hysterical people who say: Not in my backyard, we don’t want wind farms. But that is just emotional.”

Mr Leckie’s comments follow a written submission to the committee by US businessman Donald Trump yesterday, before his appearance before MSPs next week.

Mr Trump is against plans to erect turbines off the coast of the Aberdeenshire, saying that the country is “in effect, committing financial suicide”.