For the last three centuries and more, these Islands (and much of the highlands) have been ruthlessly, or at times, benignly, exploited for profit - from the debilitating wretchedness of the kelp industries to land clearances for the creation of sheep farms, from the erosion of our fishing industry by default to the more recent non-realisation of any real economic benefit from the 1970’s/80’s/90’s oil related businesses that were engaged in support of the exploitation of North sea oil.
Whether crofter or feu holder, crofting communities continue to struggle to maintain a way of life that of itself is uniquely far removed from urban concepts of land or property ownership or indeed lifestyle. Crofting land is worth more than the value placed on it, not least in terms of sustaining our most rural populations, but in contributing to our Island’s long-term growth and survival. As Islanders by birth or by choice, we are arguably tied to the land one way or another, whether or not we are crofters and even if we do not always recognise this.
How will the proliferation of wind farms, owned, in the main, by non UK companies enhance the sustainability of crofting communities in the longer term when they seek to erode the rights of crofters in the process? These ‘major’ developments will fundamentally change our landscape, our culture and our environment for generations to come but they will not be held accountable by us or to us – merely their share-holders. As many have already said, the bulk of their profits will not be re-invested in our Islands or indeed in Scotland or the UK (except perhaps through any tax revenues that will accrue to the UK exchequer). Any production, maintenance or related jobs will be short-term and ancillary as has been the case with such developments elsewhere in the UK.
It is well known, that to survive, crofting must be combined with decent living standards and job opportunities. All Islanders have a right to participate in the opportunities available to the wider Scottish society as equals – and that includes crofters. Croft land is more than a resource, it is a way of life, that depends on all the other activities and jobsthat crofters must take on to sustain their crofts. Consequently, recompense in financial terms, is not comparable with anything that seeks to limit, in any way, crofters’ control over their crofts or common grazings or indeed depletes the inherent value and worth of natural crofting resources – including wind. Moreover, the crofter has an inherent duty of care to their communities and to thegenerations to come which is (understandably) far removed from the minds or responsibility of major or multi-national companies.
Despite any assertions to the contrary – and some may be very well meaning – companies are not primarily committed to sustainability or deriving community benefit from their actions. What they do, is not out of the goodness of their hearts, but then why should it be? They run businessesafter all. Rather, they have increasingly realised the simple but powerful connection between the alignment of environmental and social factors with pure economics and profit – this is far removed from the driving forces that motivates the majority of crofters and our crofting communities.
The Section 19 application by French owned EDF to develop on the common grazings around Stornoway (with or without the consent of the crofters) is not consistent with the rights or obligations owed to crofters. It is further suggested, that EDF’s application is in-consistent with the Scottish Government’s aspirations for the new Planning Bill to be brought forward at the end of this year (2017). If passed, the Bill will bring about legislative change that aimsto strengthen planning's contribution to inclusive growth and empowering communities – the link between spatial and community planning having been pursued separately for too long.
Legislative change will take some time to take effecthowever, and so we need early actions to support inclusive growth priorities. It is understood that the Comhairle, and other partners, are exploring the creation of a vehicle to allow the Outer Hebrides community to generate renewable electricity and retail it locally. It would appear that theirultimate objective is the supply of local energy to local customers through the creation of a community owned Energy Supply Company (ESCO), or similar vehicle.
Unfortunately, the Comhairle appears to be predicating all success on the multi-national developers providing ESCO with a percentage of their generation which in turn is predicated on confirmation of a Radial Connector to enable large multi-nationals to export their energy – and it will be their energy - to the National Grid.
From a National Grid perspective however, the radial connector is not dependent on multi-nationals or on the size of any proposed development and does not preclude community ownership schemes pursuing the installation of an interconnector as a separate consideration to any local ambitions.
Given the stark revelations of population decline published recently in the local press and the high levels of fuel poverty on our Islands, surely the delivery of community owned, low cost power to our communities should be our first and foremost priority? So far however, ESCO have been pretty silent on ‘Island solutions for Island problems’ in terms of how to enable more innovation around local energy management, supply and storage measures and in generating assets or power purchase from community generators – a case perhaps of putting all our eggs in the basket of multi-national companies?
There is potential to do things differently. Electricity generation and supply should remain (and be taken back) into community ownership so that the associated economic benefits can be made available to crofters and communities on an ownership and profit yielding basis.
Our crofting forefathers fought hard for the land – for equality of opportunity – can we not learn from pastexperiences of such schemes?
Communities must be in full control of the land, wind and other resources if we are to achieve lasting change for the better and increased well-being for all of our communities.This is something which successive profit driven commercialisation schemes have demonstrably failed to deliver over successive generations.
How ironic it would be if our Leaders, in a rush to secure wind power development at any cost, further diminish our crofting communities and, in the process, hammer home another nail in our Islands painful path towards subsidiarity and self-determination as envisaged through the introduction of the ‘Our islands – Our future’ Bill, the enactment of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2013 and other reforming legislative agendas including the proposed reform of spatial planning?
Objections to ‘Stornoway Wind Farm’ — Application SLC 59/17 —should be submitted in writing to The Principal Clerk, Scottish Land Court, George House, 126 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4HH by Thursday, August 24.
Postscript: It should be noted that 2020 Renewables, which was set up in 2010, to develop onshore wind projects principally in Scotland and who are the company behind Druim Leathann Windfarm Ltd (DLWL) which is part of Velocita (an independent European developer, owner and operator of wind and renewable energy projects) are looking to vary two of the planning conditions attached to the planning approval for the ‘major’ development of 14 Wind Turbines at North Tolsta. They also want the timescale for development changed to no later than five years from the date of permission rather than three years. This approval was granted in 2013 against Officer advice and contrary to the Comhairle’s own Development Plan. It is another development that will have a huge environmental impact, with no local management and relatively little financial gain. Each individual turbine will have a hub height of 80m, a rotor diameter of 93m, a blade tip height of 126.5m and itwill ‘frame’ the western part of the village. 110 properties will be within 1.5km of turbine locations with the nearest homes being some 1km distance from certain turbines. The most pressing question is perhaps whether the timescale for commencing this development should be extended? For further information - contact the Comhairle’s Planning Department.
Stornoway Trust Resident.
