Shifting the blame to government?
Several correspondents have slammed Shetland Islands Council’s (SIC) “Shetland Development Plan” as wordy and meaningless and chief executive Maggie Sandison, cowering behind rules and regulations, has effectively confirmed it.
It’s true, of course, SIC is constrained by planning rules. However, it isn’t the whole truth.
In fact, there’s plenty they can do, starting with not rolling out the red carpet. They can enforce planning requirements, not being rushed into decisions.
They can prevent the start of construction until all planning conditions are met e.g. decommissioning bonds are in place, etc.. They can use the same “rules and regulations” to delay progress. Appeals take time.
For example, Argyll and Bute Council (A&BC) have refused applications and objected to large projects, putting pressure on government and opening the door to public inquiries which can take years to report.
They increasingly consider cumulative impact—how another wind farm would affect an area already containing several developments—rather than considering each application in isolation.
A recurring A&BC theme is that although renewable energy contributes to national climate objectives, those benefits do not automatically outweigh local environmental harm.
The 2013 ‘Our Islands, Our Future’ initiative raised the profile of increased local powers and in 2020, pursuit of autonomy up to Faroese levels became council policy – great, chocs away?
Alas, no further progress has been made and feeble statements by present councillors and officials make their 1978 predecessors (“demanding Faroese style autonomy”) seem like William Wallace.
During the recent Holyrood election, SNP MSP Hannah Mary Goodlad made much of the need for “full (local) planning control of ALL energy developments, regardless of size” and pledged to work with SIC and Alistair Carmichael MP to achieve it. Is the council working on this?
If not, why not? Increased powers are “council policy”, after all.
Best get on with winning the necessary powers then before the stampede kicks off in earnest?
Unless, of course, the SIC actually want more wind farms, are reluctant to apply the brakes, and are disingenuously protesting impotence to shift the blame to government?
John Tulloch
Aberdeen
‘We know the limits of our powers’ – council chief clarifies the purpose of development charter
