West Coast Energy held public exhibitions in Wemyss Bay and Dunoon this week, and we will report on the former, held on Wednesday after we went to press, in next week's issue.

However Frankie McCulloch, West Coast Energy's senior project manager, has told us the company does have plans to hold a similar exhibition in Rothesay early in the new year.

Mr McCulloch told us: "We will hold a public exhibition in Rothesay some time in January. It has been difficult to coordinate venues and all of the people we need to be there to provide the information the public will need.

"We did not want to have it too close to the festive season or we would have run the risk of being accused of 'hiding' it among the holidays - so that is why we are waiting until after Christmas to come to Rothesay."

Mr McCulloch also told us West Coast Energy, based in the Flintshire town of Mold, has compiled an environmental statement which will be available at the public exhibition - and that the company hopes to submit a planning application to Argyll and Bute Council soon.

We told Mr McCulloch that one of the biggest concerns on Bute is the possible 'profileration' of wind farms surrounding the island. He said: "I am opposed to profileration, but we have been looking at Corlarach for some time because it fell within an area designated for wind farms by Argyll and Bute Council.

"That designation which has now been removed by the council, so we feel as if the rug has been pulled from under us.

"No wonder people are scared of proliferation when there does'nt appear to be a strategy in place.

"We have been listening to what people are saying and we can understand their concerns. That is why we are holding these exhibitions."

(This story was published in the December 8, 2006 issue of The Buteman.)