SIX years ago they went head to head for the nomination as theleader of the Liberal Democrats in Scotland.Now Lord Stephen,Scotland's former deputy first minister, and Mike Rumbles, the manhe beat in the leadership contest, are at loggerheads again over acontroversial wind farm development in Aberdeenshire.Mr Rumbles isleading the political backlash against proposals by a renewablescompany, in which the recently appointed Lord Stephen is a director,to build a three-turbine wind farm close to the boundary of theCairngorms National Park.Mr Rumbles has described the proposals as a"cynical and outrageous attempt . . . to bulldoze through theplanning process" and has warned the developers that they are "infor a fight".Green Cat Renewables is acting on behalf of RenewableEnergy Ventures Ltd, the company in which Lord Stephen is adirector, to site three giant wind turbines, each 328ft high, on theslopes of Pressendye near Cushnie, Alford.The site is close to thearea where a previous wind farm application for a seven-turbinedevelopment by Cushnie Wind Energy was rejected last year by theScottish Government's principal reporter. And the new applicationhas sparked anger among local residents.Mr Rumbles has joined in theprotest, condemning the developers for submitting a freshapplication just months after their previous one was thrown out.In astatement posted on the local Liberal Democrats website, he said:"This is a cynical and outrageous attempt by developers to bulldozethrough the planning process."Aberdeenshire councillors sent a clearmessage when they unanimously rejected the previous application fora wind farm at nearby Pressendye. The developers' appeal wassubsequently, and quite rightly, thrown out by the ScottishGovernment reporter."If the developers think they can wear down thecommunity's opposition they can think again. The developers are infor a fight."Mr Rumbles said he had been fully aware of LordStephen's involvement in the controversial scheme when he posted hisremarks on the internet.He added: "I opposed the original Pressendyeapplication and I wrote to the minister opposing it. It wascompletely wrong and I am fully supportive of my constituents."Thenthis other application came along. And, quite frankly, it doesn'tmake a hoot of difference to me who the developer is. If it's wrong -it's wrong. I have spent the last 12 years representing WestAberdeenshire and I do it without fear or favour to anybody.Consistency is important here and the developers are in for afight."Lord Stephen defended the application. He said: "I am sure weagree on the need for a big increase in renewable energy over thenext few years. Climate change is one of the biggest issues we facein the future. The question is about the right scale and location ofindividual projects."It is important to emphasise that this is asignificantly smaller application on a less prominent site,involving only three wind turbines."Caroline Gerrie, chair of theprotest group, Stop Turbines in Cushnie, said the threat of a windfarm development was casting an "unwelcome dark shadow over my lifeand my neighbours' lives". And she declared: "We were relieved whenthe appeal against Aberdeenshire Council's decision to refuse anapplication for a seventurbine wind farm on the ridge of Pressendyewas dismissed by the Scottish Government."So you can imagine ourshock, disbelief and dismay when, even before the champagne glasseshad started to gather dust, we woke up one morning to find yetanother application."
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