Viking case to resume

A JUDICIAL hearing into the proposed Viking Energy wind farm in Shetland is to continue next month after the UK government decided not to get involved in the case.

Campaign group Sustainable Shetland raised the action in the Edinburgh Court of Session in an attempt to force the Scottish government to hold a public inquiry into the 103 turbine development, which was granted planning consent last April.

There were fears the case could be delayed for months when the European birds directive was raised as a cause for concern by the campaign group’s QC Sir Cripsin Agnew of Lochnaw.

The Scottish government’s QC Malcolm Thomson argued the UK government should be invited to join the proceedings as they represented Scotland in the European Union, thus threatening a lengthy delay.

A letter was sent to the Lord Advocate Jim Wallace, the former northern isles MP who now sits in the House of Lords as Lord Tankerness, inviting him to attend.

On Wednesday Sustainable Shetland said they had been advised that he did not wish to involve himself in the case at this stage.

This frees up the Court of Session to continue proceedings on 30 April as was scheduled when the case was adjourned on 31 January.

Sustainable Shetland have set up a public appeal to pay for the costs of the judicial review.

Chairman Andrew Halcrow said donations had come from Shetland, the UK and overseas.

“We have been amazed by the level of support we have received, which demonstrates to us the amount of support that we have, and we would like to thank everyone that has contributed,” he said.