Call for mission to save wind turbine factory from axe

Published Date: 19 August 2008
By John Ross

THE Scottish Government is being urged to send a delegation to Denmark in the hope of reversing a decision to close a wind turbine factory in Argyll.
An emergency meeting was called yesterday by Argyll and Bute Council following the shock decision by Danish company Vestas to shut its Scottish manufacturing plant in Machrihanish in Kintyre.Council officials met with representatives of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Alan Reid, the Argyll and Bute MP, to discuss ways to save the factory and 92 jobs to protect the already-fragile economy.However, no-one from Vestas attended with the company insisting any meeting takes place in Denmark. Dick Walsh, the council leader, said: "Together we need to work hard and fast to do the best we can for this area of South Argyll during what is a very worrying and apprehensive time for everyone involved."The council agreed to write to the government urging an urgent meeting with the Vestas chief executive.