No location ‘off the table’ for SSEN legacy housing

AN SSEN official says no location is “off the table” when it comes to where ‘legacy housing’ for construction workers could be built in Shetland.

Alan Kelly, who is the project lead for SSEN Transmission’s project to install another HVDC subsea cable to the isles, said the company is in “developing discussions” with Shetland Islands Council and Hjaltland Housing Association about locations.

But he said that the Shetland mainland is “reasonably compact enough” for workers to travel around.

SSEN Transmission has pledged to deliver more than 1,000 new homes across the north of Scotland to house its workforce during a variety of proposed major infrastructure developments.

A council meeting heard earlier this year that up to 150 legacy houses could delivered in Shetland through SSEN.

Some of the projects on the horizon in the coming years for SSEN in Shetland include the construction of a large substation hub in the North Mainland, as well as the installation of the second HVDC subsea cable.

Through SSEN’s ‘legacy’ housing initiative, homes built for its workforce would be made available to local communities once they are no longer needed.

Speaking at a meeting of Northmaven Community Council on Monday, Kelly said the company’s intention is to leave a “lasting legacy”.

“Our locations will be driven and shaped by the needs of Shetland. We’re working with Hjaltland and SIC to really take a steer on that,” he said.

“I think there’s no location that’s off the table in terms of where our workers are located.”

Kelly added on the Scottish mainland workers travelling 30 kilometres to work is “not a massive impact”.

It came after community council chairman John Parry said he assumed housing would be located in the North Mainland and “not like everything else down in Lerwick” given the development planned in the area.

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SSEN was speaking at the community council meeting because it is considering two sites in the area for possible cable landfall.

It is looking at whether Braewick in Eshaness or ‘Minn Islesburgh’, to the west of Mavis Grind, would be suitable for landing a second HVDC subsea cable ashore.

SSEN Transmission community liaison manager for Shetland Gordon Bell stressed the need for “early engagement” on legacy projects and noted how the Northmavine Community Development Company (NCDC) is exploring building affordable homes in Urafirth.

He said “we’re very keen to have those conversations”.

Community councillor David Brown questioned if SSEN would back housing in Northmavine given its apparent support shown for the NCDC housing project.

Bell said in response that “we’re very keen to engage as early as possible”.

He stressed that “houses do not appear overnight and take some time to deliver”.

Brown said in response that if housing is used as a “pitch” to the local community “to get us to buy into the cable coming in through Northmavine, I think that the housing therefore should go in the areas” proposed for development.