Community / Voe anti-pylon petition goes island wide
A PETITION calling on SSEN Transmission to bury cables rather than installing 38-metre high pylons to connect proposed green energy projects has gone island wide by popular demand.
Voe Community Development Association (VCDA) launched the petition earlier this week during a public meeting at Voe Hall, with the aim of protecting the village and surrounding areas from the worst impact of proposed industrialisation.
Last night (Thursday) members of VCDA said they were “delighted and amazed” by the response they had received to the petition over the last two days.
The petition was initially only available at the shop at the Tagon and Weisdale shops as well as Brae Garage, but can now also be signed at the following locations:
- Soundside Stores
- Shetland Jewellery
- Hillswick Shop
- Mainland’s Mini Market
- Loose Ends shop
- Sandwick Bakery
- Ocean Kinetics
- Hoswick Visitor Centre
- Dog Training with Karen Irvine
- Bigton Hymhus
- J&K Anderson
It is not available online, as an ‘old-fashioned’ paper petition is regarded as more impactful in response to the plans by SSEN Transmission.
The petition also calls on the company to do all it can to minimise the visual intrusion from a massive sub-station, Kergord 2, planned at the western fringes of the village.
The full petition can be read here.
VCDA chair Martin Naylor said the petition had gone “Shetland-wide” as islanders had asked for it. “There is some passion about this,” he added.
“The feeling is that SSEN deliberately give a short amount of time for feedback and the fact that it is hard to administer at this time of year will be of advantage to them.
“But they do not know the determination of the folk on these islands”.
Council leader Emma Macdonald, who is the Lib Dem candidate for the Scottish election in May, was the first to sign on Tuesday. The petition has meanwhile also been endorsed by SNP candidate Hannah Mary Goodlad.
All signature sheets must be returned to VCDA by 5 January 2026 for submission.
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