Newing residents’ ‘great relief’ after Viking abandons quarry plans

A HUGE sigh of relief has spread through a small Shetland community after a wind farm developer confirmed this week that it has no longer plans to build a quarry close to their homes.

Residents living in the hamlet of Newing, South Nesting, raised the alarm in September last year when they realised that a borrow pit – or quarry – to extract rocks and aggregate for the 103-turbine Viking Energy (VE) wind farm could be constructed within 500 metres of their homes.

Residents unhappy with Viking borrow pit plans close to their homes

At the time, developer SSE Renewables said it had all permissions in place thanks to Scottish ministers as part of a variation to its section 36 consent granted on 24 May 2019.

The residents, however, said they were not properly consulted on the plans, and called on the wind farm developer to reconsider.

They were supported by the now retired local councillor Alastair Cooper, who also called on the company to abandon its plans.

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At the time SSE Renewables insisted this particular borrow pit (NBP06) at the eastern fringes of the large wind farm site had been “a long standing part of the consent” and suggested the quality of the rock to be extracted from this particular borrow pit would be “particularly suited for construction purposes”.

The now no longer planned borrow pit NBP06 was located a few hundred metres from the houses at Newing (highlighted). Image: SSE Renewables

The now no longer planned borrow pit NBP06 was located a few hundred metres from the houses at Newing (highlighted). Image: SSE Renewables

On Tuesday, during a presentation to members of the Viking Energy community liaison group, the project’s stakeholder manager Aaron Priest confirmed that the entire network of 70 kilometres of tracks had now been completed for the 443MW wind farm.

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He also confirmed that developing the Newing quarry was no longer part of the company’s plans. Local residents were informed on Wednesday morning.

In a short statement requested by Shetland News, Priest said: “It was internally confirmed that borrow pit NBP06 and the related access track are no longer required and will not be developed.

“The existing (remoter) borrow pit in South Nesting, NBP05, is providing aggregates in the required ongoing quantities and volumes to allow this decision to now be confirmed.”

Speaking on behalf of the Newing resident group, Susanne Malcolmson said everyone in the community was relieved to hear the news.

“It is very good news for Newing residents that VE have confirmed they no longer need the access tracks and aggregate from this ‘borrow’ pit to complete their operations.  Hopefully this is the end of this matter once and for all,” she said.

“Collectively we would like to say that this decision has come as a great relief to us all, and given a sense of peace today now that a huge worry has been lifted.”