Business / Community council concern at proposed 10-year extension of Sella Ness accommodation block permission
DELTING Community Council has shown concern over a proposal to extend the temporary planning permission of the Sella Ness accommodation camp – which predominately houses visiting oil and gas workers – by a decade.
The community council instead believes that the extension should be reduced to five years with a permanent, more environment friendly building constructed afterwards.
It said with the “next generation of industrial development” in the area likely by 2030 “it makes sense to plan at this stage for the longer term”.
It currently has planning consent through to the end of 2025.
The new application, to extend the planning consent through to the end of 2035, says there is ongoing demand from the nearby Sullom Voe Terminal (SVT) and Shetland Gas Plant (SGP) as well as from a number of potential future infrastructure projects like wind farm construction and the decarbonisation of SVT.
There are, for example, proposals for hydrogen production at the terminal site, as well as on land near to Scatsta Airport, which is close to the Sella Ness camp.
However, Delting Community Council said in a representation to the planning service that it had concerns over the length of the proposed extension.
“They [Delting Community Council] accept that given the current requirement to meet contractor need they cannot justify a total refusal but believe a qualified permission is in the best interest of the community,” its clerk wrote.
“A 10 year extension would mean the building which was originally put in place for five years would result in a life of 25 years.
“They believe that a five year extension coupled with a requirement to erect a permanent carbon neutral building to meet anticipated needs in the long term is the best answer for both the users and the community.
“There is no way, given the type of construction, that the existing building can meet Shetland’s need to meet environmental standards.”
The representation said Delting Community Council would want to see industry – both “current and anticipated” – to sit with the council and plan permanent accommodation in the vicinity for the longer term which meets the need with a reduced carbon footprint.
A planning statement for the proposed extension said the accommodation facility “remains in good condition and the form of the development has been designed to endure the Shetland climate”.
The building, currently operated by Sodexo, was opened in 2011 to accommodate workers constructing the nearby Shetland Gas Plant, and after an initial renewal it had further temporary planning permission until November 2020.
A request for further temporary permission to 2025 was initially refused by councillors on the SIC’s planning committee, who raised concern that it was contrary to the islands’ local development plan.
Objections to the application had also been received from accommodation providers across Shetland and particularly in the North Mainland, where warnings were made that hotels and guesthouses could be forced to close if the camp was allowed to stay open.
But consent was given on appeal by the government, whose reporter said the decision to refuse had been “unreasonable”.
Currently there is demand for around 300 workers from the oil and gas sector to be accommodated at the facility, which has amenities such as a dining area, bar, gym and a small external football pitch.
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