COMHAIRLE NAN EILEAN SIAR

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES COMMITTEE

Minute of Meeting held in the Council Offices, Stornoway, on Thursday 26 May 2005 at 9.00am.

PRESENT	Mr Angus Nicolson (Chairman)
	Mr George Lonie
	Mr Keith Dodson	Mr Martin C Taylor
	Mr Angus McCormack	Mr Peter Carlin
	Mrs Morag Munro	Mr Ronald J Mackinnon
	Mr Donald Maclean	Mr Angus Macdonald
APOLOGIES	Mr Ian M Macleod (Vice-Chairman)
	Mr Alex A MacDonald	Mr Angus Campbell

Declaration of Interests	1	There were no declarations of interest.
		DEVELOPMENT CONTROL
Large Wind Farm Applications:  Presentations	2	With reference to item 2 of the Minute of Meeting of 25 May 2005 the Head of Development Services submitted a Report concerning large Wind Farm applications and set out the arrangements for presentations on the Wind Farm applications submitted under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 by Lewis Wind Power Ltd and Beinn Mhor Power. Health and Noise The Chairman invited Mr Harry Miller, Head of Health and Consumer Services, Ms Christine Schofield, Senior Environmental Health Officer, Mr Andy McClements, Senior Environmental Health Officer, to give a presentation on the Wind Farm applications submitted by Lewis Wind Power Ltd and Beinn Mhor Power. An opportunity was afforded to Members to ask questions of Mr Miller, Ms Schofield and Mr McClements. The Chairman thanked Mr Miller, Ms Schofield and Mr McClements for their presentation.
		The Chairman invited Ms Julie Yates and Ms Lucy Macleod, NHS Western Isles to give a presentation on the Wind Farm applications submitted by Lewis Wind Power Ltd and Beinn Mhor Power. An opportunity was afforded to Members to ask questions of Ms Yates and Ms Macleod. The Chairman thanked Ms Yates and Ms Macleod for their presentation.
		Beinn Mhor Power The Chairman invited Mr Nicholas Oppenheim, Beinn Mhor Power Ltd, Ms Catherine Cripps, Beinn Mhor Power Ltd and Mr Paul Howarth, Howarth Conservation Ltd to give a presentation on the Wind Farm application submitted by Beinn Mhor Power. An opportunity was afforded to Members to ask questions of Mr Oppenheim, Ms Cripps and Mr Howarth. The Chairman thanked Mr Oppenheim, Ms Cripps and Mr Howarth for their presentation.
		Lewis Wind Power The Chairman invited Mr Kevin Murray, Ms Sandra Painter, Mr John Price, Mr Simon Baker and Mr David Hodkinson, Lewis Wind Power to give a presentation on the Wind Farm application submitted by Lewis Wind Power Ltd. An opportunity was afforded to Members to ask questions of Mr Murray, Ms Painter, Mr Price, Mr Baker and Mr Hodkinson. The Chairman thanked Mr Murray, Ms Painter, Mr Price, Mr Baker and Mr Hodkinson for their presentation. The Chairman stated that the Head of Development Services would prepare Reports on the above-mentioned Wind Farm applications for submission to a Meeting of the Committee scheduled to be held in June 2005. It was agreed that: (1) the Director of Corporate Services would seek clarity on the methodology and procedures used in relation to the conduct of ballots held by all Community Councils, particularly the text of any questions posed in a ballot and the measures put in place to preserve the integrity of the ballot; (2) the Director for Sustainable Communities, in consultation with the Director of Corporate Services, be authorised to prepare a letter for the Chairman, in consultation with the Convener and Vice-Convener, to send to the Chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Chairman of Western Isles Enterprise requesting that their respective Boards take a formal position on the applications for Wind Farms submitted by Lewis Wind Power Ltd and Beinn Mhor Power and inform the Comhairle, of these views, as soon as possible but by not later than 27 June 2005, in order to allow consideration of the Board’s views by the Comhairle in reaching its view; and (3) copies of all Trust documents relating to the Wind Farm applications submitted by Lewis Wind Power Ltd and Beinn Mhor Power, held by Officers of the Comhairle, be circulated to Members by the Director of Corporate Services.