News / In brief for 15 February 2011
Viking opposition grows
ALMOST 4,000 individuals and organisations have written to the Scottish government’s Energy Consents Unit to comment on the proposed Viking Energy wind farm development, in Shetland.
Of the 3,850 responses, 71 percent have voiced their opposition to the 457 megawatt wind farm proposal, while 29 per cent have written in support.
The figures from the ECU also show that more than 85 per cent of all responses received were sent from Shetland.
Kevin Learmonth, of Sustainable Shetland, said: “People have told the government’s planning authority that they don’t want the wind farm. These are overwhelming figures.”
Marine energy map
SHETLAND is gearing itself up to play a bigger role in marine energy with the publication of the first comprehensive study of the islands’ potential as a source of wave and tidal power later this month.
The study, compiled by consultants from Natural Power, will be presented to key industry players attending the Renewables UK wave and tidal conference in London on 2 March.
Data collection and modelling have produced resource maps that successfully fill the gaps in existing information, giving up to 50 metre resolution through major tidal energy sites at Bluemull and Yell Sound and refining the wave energy resources available up to 500 metres off the Shetland coastline.
David Priest of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) said: “This is a really useful piece of work and fills in a missing gap of information available on the seas around Shetland making it easier for developers to plan.
“It clearly demonstrates where the best wave and tidal energy is and shows how good resources are in and around Shetland waters.”
The data and mapping will become part of the marine atlas known as the Shetland Islands Marine Spatial Plan to help developers identifying the most appropriate locations for future marine energy developments.
Fuel in Hillswick
PEOPLE living around Hillswick and Eshaness now have access to fuel at lerwick prices, thanks to a £21,000 state of the art fuel pump installed at the Hillswick Shop.
The community-owned business raised 90 per cent of the funding for the project through the Scottish government’s Fairer Scotland Fund, after local people said the most important new service they wanted was fuel supplies.
Shop vice chairman Peter Sinclair said: ““It’s been a braa while since we had fuel here last and it’s certainly good to have it back again. It makes a big difference to life up here from having to go to Ollaberry or Brae to fill up.”
Advice ignored
THE UK government has been warned by its own advisers that scrapping the coastguard’s emergency tugs next September raised the risk of environmental disasters, according to a report in the Glasgow Herald.
A leaked report from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the strategy of having four vessels based around the UK was “correct” and “to all intents and purposes an obligation”.
It added that the tugs had more than paid for themselves by preventing up to 35,800 tonnes of oil pollution from 48 shipping incidents since 2005.
The contract for the tugs is to be scrapped in September following the UK government’s comprehensive spending review last October.
No single force
AN OVERWHELMING majority of Northern Constabulary officers and staff have voted against proposals to create a single Scottish police force.
Almost 800 questionnaires were returned with 86.6 per cent voting against a single force, more than 70 per cent wanting to keep Northern Constabulary as it is or as a larger regional police force.
Just over 13 per cent voted for a single force and nearly 14 per cent favoured Northern Constabulary being merged into a regional model.
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