UPDATE – The comhairle leadership has spent a fruitless day making a ludicrous attempt to try and gag me about the role of very senior comhairle people trying to influence some of the less worldly-wise members of community windfarm companies. They want references to their director of development removed from the tale below about how Donald Maciver, the windfarm project manager, was shafted by his neighbours in Tolsta for being honest (see below).
My legal adviser told me it was “amateurish and sinister” for any authority to ask a journalist to remove part of a news story it does not like when it has already willingly provided a response to allegations properly put to it. “They have no case. They are bullying you. You should tell them to get stuffed,” he said. So I did.
The comhairle does not want the public to know that certain councillors and top officials are plainly rooting for the American developer, 2020 Renewables, and simply don’t want a better deal for that community. Why? The more the top brass at the comhairle continue these Stalinist tactics, the more we have to conclude that there is some hidden link between the comhairle leadership and 2020. It might take a while – but I will get to the bottom of it.
Iain.
The project manager of an island windfarm company was sacked for putting a single sheet of paper from his local community council into envelopes with his employers’ circular.
During his appeal against losing his livelihood, Donald Maciver from the Isle of Lewis discovered his alleged misdemeanour had been secretly upgraded to gross misconduct without his knowledge and his sacking was confirmed.
After threatening to haul the bosses of the community company before an employment tribunal, Mr Maciver has now accepted a substantial sum to drop proceedings just before hearings were to begin.
The close-knit community of North Tolsta on the east of Lewis has been split for some time since Mr Maciver was disciplined for enclosing the page from the community council with the circular on the grounds he had not sought authority to do so from the directors of Tolsta Community Development Ltd (TCDL).
Project manager Donald Maciver was sacked by his friends and neighbours in Tolsta for putting a community council sheet into windfarm envelopes
As Donald Maciver appealed against being disciplined, it emerged that the community company had hired a lawyer in Orkney and was flying a highly-paid human resources consultant from Glasgow to try and back up their case against the suspended project manager.
One villager, who asked not to be named, said: “We wondered why the TCDL directors were trying so hard to sack Donald. They spent thousands of pounds of our money to try and get rid of him because he was asking too many questions but it was clear to everyone that they had no case.”
Bosses at TCDL have steadfastly refused to answer questions on why Mr Maciver was really sacked. There is mounting suspicion in Tolsta it was for pointing out that a deal to place turbines near North Tolsta to be operated by an American-owned company called 2020 Renewables Ltd was not as good a deal for the Tolsta community as was achieved by other island townships.
The villager said: “Most of the people round here know that was the real reason and the silly charge of putting a single sheet in an envelope was just an excuse. They thought they had him. Five out of the six TCDL directors are or were crofters and they do not seem to have declared their interest that they could financially benefit if an expected deal is done for grazing land to be released to that company.
“We believe there are conflicts of interest which should have been declared to ensure this matter was dealt with properly and fairly.”
Energy company 2020 Renewables Ltd won planning consent for the 42MW wind farm from the islands council which will involve 14 turbines at Druim Leathann to the west of Tolsta. The company has proposed paying community benefit worth at least £294,000 per year. However, other schemes on the island are known to pay out nearly £100,000 for just one turbine. For example the Point and Sandwick Power community-owned scheme will be generating over £1 million for their community, and that is with just three turbines.
There have been ongoing rumours in North Tolsta that senior figures at Western Isles Council were also pushing for Mr Maciver’s sacking. It is understood a councillor was unhappy when Donald Maciver told of his concern the windfarm deal was a poor one for the community. There have also been various claims suggesting that council director of development Calum Iain Maciver, who is from the Tolsta area, had recommended sacking the project manager.
That speculation forced Western Isles Council to issue a stern denial that its leading lights were in any way officially involved. Its spokesman said: “Neither the comhairle nor the director of development have provided any advice to TCDL in relation to Mr Donald MacIver, or in relation to any staffing issues.
“Neither the comhairle nor the director of development are party to any form of partnership arrangement between TCDL and 2020 Renewables, or with any other entity.”
One well-informed local observer said that he had it confirmed that Donald Maciver had won a five-figure sum to drop his case against the community company. He said: “Donald may have even won up up to £50,000 by all accounts and I say good luck to him for what these people – his own neighbours – put him through.
“If the case had gone to a tribunal, TCDL would have gone down in history as a laughing stock. Their own legal advisers obviously told them to throw in the towel.”
TCDL directors William Angus Macritchie – and two others who are both called Murdo Maciver – failed to respond to questions as to whether they have authority to apportion Tolsta turbine community funds to paying lawyers and HR specialists to pursue or defend an employment dispute or whether they have conflicts of interest.
Company secretary Murdo Maciver declined to comment on whether Donald Maciver was really sacked for putting a community council newsletter in a TCDL envelope. His statement said: “Tolsta Community Development Ltd has no comment to make and for legal reasons we are unable to discuss the matter.”
Donald Maciver, who is now working on the mainland, would only say: “I have been told that I am not allowed to discuss the outcome of my case against TCDL with the press.”
So much money washing around on these windfarms,they can time and time again,squander it on stupidity.The reason for this is of course,its the silly beggers that pay the electric bills that fund this travesty
It is good that this scandal is now out in the open, but there is more damning detail yet to emerge, such as what was the role played by local SNP councillor John A Maciver, brother of the Stornoway Trust Factor, Iain Maciver?
And what of the role played by Chairman Mo Murray and his fellow trustees who sold us down the river, again, for a pitiful handful of crumpled well used American dollars?
The Trustees, if they have any integrity must now disclose full details of all their deals with the Americans and the French.
Time the stopped their feudal landlord behaviour.
I, and many others in our community, wish Donald well in his new employment, and I am ashamed that he was subjected to this kind of treatment, egged on by the council and the Trust.
I think there is an other obvious link besides the dozy SNP councillor John A. Look no further than another councillor for the area, who happens to be a trustee and vice chair of development services, step forward councillor Donald Crighton. This sorry tale is getting murkier and murkier.
yet another incredibly important news story that the useless stornoway gazette refused to print a word about . how long will that rag be allowed to suck advertisiong revenue out of this island without doing the job its supposed to do .
I don’t understand why Iain Maciver is distracting us with such trivial and petty concerns as the Tolsta wind farm, the Stornoway Trust elections ,the Bernera buy-out and that silly solar eclipse.
Surely he has the sense to realise that his sleepless and anguished readers greatest present anxiety is caused by the earth-shattering news of the sacking by the BBC of a privileged and spoilt English ex-public school chap, who they grossly overpaid to generally make a nuisance of himself, and who they allowed ,when sober, to thrash expensive motor cars for fun.
Shame on you Iain for being so thoughtless !
Ill fares the land to hastening ills a prey,where wealth accumulates and men decay. As true today as it was when these words were penned in 1770.