Letters / Low, innuendo ridden attack
I have known Billy Fox for many years. However, I am still surprised by such a low, innuendo ridden attack not only on me, but on people at Economic Development, who are diligent and honourable public servants, staff and councillors, who through their position can not defend themselves (SIC has everything to do with Viking; SN 22/4/12).
In response I would say the following:
The way applications for connection to the grid work is that they are considered in the order they are made. I made one back in 2007, and it was successful. The grid in Shetland is small and constrained, and at some point after that, SSE decided that it could stand no more intermittent input (probably due to their legal obligation to take on small FITs connections). Anybody who thinks special agreements for grid connections can be made is deluded.
None of it has anything to do with shutting communities out. In fact, any individual or community body who wants to start a renewables project should do so now. Such projects take years of hard work to bring about, and Viking Energy will open the connection door, through the provision of a cable to the mainland, by the time any prospective project has gone through all the necessary hurdles.
In terms of applications to the council are concerned, all I have ever asked is to be treated like any other citizen. I am quite sure that is how it worked. The process certainly felt very rigorous.
I suppose Billy thinks this kind of behavior will help him in his almost hysterical single issue campaign for the council. We will see. However, the point was never made that Viking Energy had nothing to do with the council, certainly not by me. The point was, and is, that the council will be making no more decisions about Viking Energy, as the most senior element of the Scottish planning system has made a final one. That is clear.
Should he be elected, and should I be, I will try hard to work along with him to solve the many difficult problems the council faces. Decisions on the some fifty reviews now in progress will have to be made, and they will be very difficult. As a former councillor, I know how difficult. I wonder if Billy is prepared for the kind of hard slog which is coming?
I have made my points now, and I will not engage in any more tit for tat exchanges, as I believe the Shetland public will see this sort of thing for what it is.
Drew Ratter
Shetland North candidate
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