News / Monday’s trust meeting cancelled
SHETLAND Charitable Trust had to cancel an urgently arranged special meeting for Monday after an intervention from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).
The meeting had been called by seven trustees to discuss a further investment of £6.3 million into the controversial Viking Energy wind farm project.
The move had created a political storm over the last two days with opponents of the wind farm arguing that trustees had no mandate to make an investment decision just three days prior to the council election.
Six of the seven trustees who had requested the meeting, are not seeking re-election as councillors on 3 May.
Monday’s meeting would have been the third attempt by the charitable trust to make a decision on further funding for Viking Energy.
On Saturday morning however, the charitable trust’s chief executive Ann Black issued a statement announcing that the meeting had been cancelled.
Her statement reads: “The meeting scheduled to take place on Monday has been cancelled.
“I have spoken to the following trustees: Elizabeth Fullerton, James Budge, Andrew Hughson, Robert Henderson, Joseph Simpson, Leslie Angus and Adam Doull, who requested a meeting be held on 30 April 2012.
“In light of a direction received from OSCR late Friday afternoon, which stated that the trust must not make a binding decision in relation to any investment in the Viking Energy project, beyond the £3.42 million previously invested, before 5 May 2012, and subsequent legal advice, they have decided to withdraw this request.
“I appreciate trustees’ frustration at not being able to debate or discuss this matter. I have therefore given them the opportunity to make their views known to me, and I will ensure that these views are shared with the incoming new Board of Trustees.”
Shetland Charitable Trust is made up of 19 councillors plus Lord Lieutenant Bobby Hunter and the head teacher of the Anderson High School, Valerie Nicolson.
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