Letters / Ulterior motive by SSEN?
SSEN announce that they are investigating Braewick as a possible landfall for the second HVDC2 cable, although this was never proposed in any of its previous consultations.
Braewick beach, with its back-bar lagoon and its sweeping coastline on either side, is part of a larger National Scenic Area designation. The view of this coastline over the iconic Drongs out into St Magnus Bay is one of Shetland’s best; thousands of tourist’s cameras capture this dramatic vista every year.
As well as part of a National Scenic Area, the Braewick shore is one of UNESCO Shetland Global Geopark’s top interpretive geological areas. This section of coast is unique in its geomorphology and geology for understanding the geological and glacial history of Shetland, and that of Orkney and Scotland as a whole.
The beach itself and the cliffs along the shore at either side are easily accessible, and form part of the Geopark’s Volcano Trail that takes in the whole Esha Ness coast.
Braewick shore then is of local, national, and international importance; any industrial disturbance of the beach and environs will be nothing short of a desecration of this scenic area, and degradation of scientific and educational resources.
The beach itself is the best example in Shetland of a bay-head bar formed by a storm beach and is a nesting area for arctic terns, ringed plovers and oyster catchers. The lagoon behind the beach is used by a variety of birdlife all year round. In and around the lagoon significant archaeological remains have been recorded.
So why investigate Braewick for the HVDC2 cable when in all SSEN’s previous consultations it is supposed to connect up with the vast Northern Hub complex near Sullom Voe?
Clearly by looking at the map, a Braewick landfall makes absolutely no sense for an onward connection to the Sullom Voe area. Braewick shore is as almost as far west from Sullom Voe across the hilly ‘spine’ of Northmavine as it is possible to get.
Clearly there is an ulterior motive by SSEN here. Looking at a map of all the possible environmental designations, including SSSIs, that could cover the area north of Braewick to Tingon and west to Ollaberry, then south to Mavis Grind, I see that there are none.
Is this undesignated area of Shetland hill and dale ripe for another SSE wind farm development? After all, SSEN say the cable is to accommodate further industrialisation of Shetland that our MSP candidates and most of our SIC councillors desire.
“Is nothing sacred?” was a question I saw on Facebook in relation to SSEN’s Braewick announcement. Well, the answer is “seemingly not!”
Past history shows that Shetland is seen as an easy and soft touch. Developers will bend every environmental rule to get what they want out of Nature Scot and the RSPB.
Planning conditions are stretched to breaking point by officials in favour of the developers; the SIC, our politicians and governments turn blind eyes when breaches occur.
Allen Fraser
Hamnavoe
Braewick being explored as landfall site for second HVDC cable
