David Ross, Highland Correspondent
IN May 2013 this columnist opined it was difficult to overstate the anger
and sheer frustration felt in the islands, particularly across the Minch.
This because the much-vaunted vision of creating an age of prosperity
founded on wind, wave and tidal energy appeared to be disappearing over the
horizon.
There was still no commitment to laying the subsea cable necessary to take
the extra power generated by the green energy projects in the islands to
the mainland to connect with the national grid. An important deadline for
signing a contract for the work had been missed.
Three and a half years on, the anger and frustration have intensified. The
Western Isles faces a 13.7% decrease in population by the year 2039, and
desperately needs an economic catalyst.
But the UK Government’s plans to curb subsidies for new onshore wind farms
mean energy companies believe it’s too expensive to start laying cables
without the subsidies. But there is one glimmer of hope, a new consultation
seeking views on whether island wind developments should be treated
differently than those on the mainland.
There have been discussions about laying ‘interconnectors’ to the islands
at least since the ultimately unsuccessful plans for the first giant wind
farm for Lewis were unveiled in 2001. That’s 15 years – the total time it
took to build the Forth Rail Bridge (six years), the Channel Tunnel (six
years) and the Skye Bridge (three years); or indeed to fight the Boer War,
the two world wars and most of the Korean campaign.
But apparently we need even more discussion. What is there to discuss? If
Scotland’s islands’s fortunes are to be transformed, they need the
interconnectors, and not just for wind farms. As elsewhere there are many
who oppose turbines on islands. But the subsea cables would be needed
if/when offshore wind, wave or tidal energy projects come on stream.
Surely there has been enough talking. It is time to classify island
projects as being ‘offshore’ and therefore not subject to the subsidy
restriction.
On the subject of lengthy conversations, there should be these aplenty if
the Scottish Government plans to create a super-quango board proceed
unaltered.
This new Scotland-wide statutory board would replace existing individual
agency boards and co-ordinate the activities of Scottish Enterprise,
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Scottish Development International,
Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council.
The last on that list alone allocates about £1.6 billion in public funds to
Scotland’s 19 universities and 25 colleges each year. But this is to come
under the same board, which presumably will be considering plans by HIE
(budget £79.5m) such as refurbishing hotels in Sutherland, backing
communities seeking to buy local land from Ardnamurchan to Ardgay or
supporting a bagpipe-maker in Forres. The agenda/minutes documents could
resemble the collected works of Tolstoy.
There are strong historical arguments for keeping local decision-making in
the Highlands with a continuing HIE board. It hasn’t been infallible, but
what is proposed to take its place just seems plain daft.
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