A Big Win From A Small Village

Vattenfall can huff and puff, but it couldn’t blow this village down on Tuesday when the Formartine Area Committee voted against a substation that was proposed to be built only 400 feet from residential housing in Blackdog.

That’s right. After months of tireless attempts to have their voices heard, a petitions, hundreds of sent letters, and support from thousands of people throughout the world Blackdog won and commonsense prevailed, at least for now.

Tuesday’s decision was covered by numerous outlets, including BBC, STV, Northsound, Evening Express, Ellon Times, and P&J.

Protect Blackdog leaders Edna Booth and Nicola Brown shed light on the decision just after it was rendered:

"In the past, other campaigners had attempted to stand up and protest. But, in the end, they usually had to give way to the big companies, who dumped their rubbish next to our community. It was as if because we only had 80-odd houses, that they could act as they please. But we decided that we would do everything we possibly could to fight against these substations.”

In a concise and pointed statement, Edna noted:

“Our village is already surrounded by 19 landfills, one of which is the second most contaminated parcels of land in all of Scotland,” says Edna Booth, with a firm click of her jaw.

“Why has this small beach town been targeted as an industrial dead zone? We don’t want to live 400 feet from a substation, to convert greenery into a cement block that will take months of aggravation to build. I don’t think this is too much to ask.”

While this is a crucial win, it is well worth noting that Vattenfall will have the opportunity to appeal the decision.

“If they do, we’ll be ready,” said Nicola. “Although it is our primary concern, there is more at stake than just the substation. It’s about respect for our village. We may have fewer than 100 houses in Blackdog, but that does not mean that we will be accept being overpowered or silenced by a company who thinks it knows our own good better than we do.”

Thank you to everyone who dedicated their time, effort, thoughts, and prayers to our cause. We could not have done it without you. Please continue to follow our blog as we wait for the government to solidify their decision and chase Vattenfall out for good.

 If you would like to read some of the articles written about Blackdog, please see the following links:

http://aberdeen.stv.tv/articles/246138-nicola-brown-and-edna-booth-were-determined-to-stop-substations-being-built/?fromstreampost=11741

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-24734205