Pause the lunacy : Caithness councillor says communities are up against ludicrously impenetrable planning system

johnogroat-journal.co.uk · Feb 26, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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Matthew Reiss spoke of the ‘sheer rank injustice’ being experienced by communities over major energy developments.A Caithness councillor has warned that the county is being “utterly swamped” by major renewable energy projects while objectors are faced with a “ludicrously impenetrable” planning system.Matthew Reiss argued that “money and profit” had been put above the public interest and called on the Scottish Government to “pause the lunacy”.He was speaking at Tuesday’s Rural Scotland Community Council Convention Round Table on the Impact of Major Energy Infrastructure, held at Holyrood.Community councils from the Highlands, the north-east and the south of Scotland were represented at the event, which followed on from two well-attended community council conventions in the Highlands last year.It was chaired by Helen Crawford, the Conservative councillor for Aird and Loch Ness, and attended by Scotland’s cabinet secretary for climate action and energy, Gillian Martin. Calls were made for a clear national energy policy for Scotland, a pause on major energy infrastructure applications until such a policy is in place, and a pan-Scotland planning inquiry commission to assess cumulative impacts on landscapes, the environment, local economies and communities.Another demand was for communities to be “meaningfully involved” in decisions affecting their future.Councillor Reiss, an independent councillor for Thurso and Northwest Caithness, spoke on behalf of Halkirk and District Community Council.Some of the community council representatives gathering outside the Scottish Parliament building ahead of the Rural Scotland Community Council Convention Round Table on the Impact of Major Energy Infrastructure. Picture: Matthew ReissHe said: “Caithness is being utterly swamped by turbines, substations, pylons, tracks and a quite disingenuous planning system, ludicrously impenetrable to ordinary people – or should I say ‘receptors’?“Caithness people are fiercely proud of their unique big-sky landscape and natural environment. I was a senior police officer ‘up there’ and well used to regularly meeting angry people – but never the present widespread, quiet, sober and simmering fury.“And I would undoubtedly feel that way if I was being cleared off my family land. This is actually happening, on a small scale, in the Halkirk area.“How ironic, then, that we have both severe depopulation coupled with the world-class, undamaged parts of the Flow Country, now a Unesco World Heritage Site, yet even there the developers are moving in.”Councillor Reiss added: “Renewable energy has of course its part to play in our energy policy, and indeed energy security, but in a carefully organised and compassionate way.”He described National Planning Framework 4, the Scottish Government’s national spatial strategy, as “very much a free-for-all” and claimed it is “all about money”.He added: “A planning inquiry commission would unquestioningly get a grip, pause the tsunami and face up to the sheer rank injustice being perpetrated by governments. “Everyone here has a motive. Ours is to protect people and their health and environment and to pause the lunacy.”Councillor Reiss said later he was disappointed that Ms Martin had only been able to attend the event for approximately 30 minutes.“Many people had travelled hundreds of miles to be there and they were attending for what is arguably the biggest single issue in rural areas of Scotland at present,” he said.“Yes, I know she’s a busy person, but I just felt it was bitterly disappointing that she could only find half an hour to hear the views from voters across Scotland.“Other people commented that she has met regularly with applicants and energy companies.”Councillor Reiss added that it was a privilege to be asked to give a speech on behalf of Halkirk and District Community Council. “It’s one of the areas of Caithness where this is so topical,” he said.The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.Also this week, Ms Martin was criticised for appearing to suggest that those opposed to renewable energy projects are driven by “false narratives of the far right”.Highlands and Islands MSP Tim Eagle claimed the comments made by Ms Martin amounted to a “slur” against communities that are “horrified” by the scale and impact of wind farms and other major developments. Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.