Fears new power station will spark Keiss rundown
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THE school, the shop and the pub are all in danger of closing if the go-ahead is given to build an electricity switching station on the outskirts of a Caithness village.
Sinclair Bay Community Council member Andrew Mackay believes the green light for SSE’s plans would turn Keiss into a ghost village.
An appeal to mobilise protest led to over 100 people attending a public meeting in the village hall last Thursday evening.
Locals are concerned environmental and health fears about the development would leave the village devastated as residents moved out.
Although no site has been publicly earmarked for the switching station, community councillors are convinced that SSE has its sights set on ground at Longreen, less than a mile from the village. Their stance is based on SSE having put a retainer on an area of ground there with the owner.
Mr Mackay said the construction of the station would result in an exodus of the 700 population, leaving the village deserted.
"If families leave, the school will be in jeopardy and the economy would not recover from the blow. The danger is real that all this could be lost," he said.
"The turnout reflects the passion in the community and the concerns this project has given them.
"We are looking to create a structured plan of objection – we have to be sensible rather than shout it out.
"We will do everything in our power to convince them not to put it here."
The community council claim the switching station is a danger to youngsters as the electro-magnetic field it would generate has been linked to cancer and leukaemia in children.
Residents also fear the station will be a blot on the scenic landcape.
Terry Mason (64), of Heatherbell Cottage, Keiss, said it would destroy one of the most beautiful villages in Scotland. "I’m against it due to the scale of the environmental impact on the community," he said.
"My partner and I moved here four years ago due to the beautiful scenery, but this will spoil it.
"If it is built at Longreen, it would be a few hundred metres from where we live – we would have no choice but to leave."
The likely site for the development would be a stone throw’s from Donald Anderson’s house at Longreen. The 34-year-old said that he would leave the county if the development went ahead and return to his native north-east.
"I feel that this would decimate the community," he said.
"My family have been living here for three years but if this goes ahead, the first thing I will do is head back to Cullen with my three kids."
John Perry (51), from South Keiss, is determined to do what he could to prevent the station going ahead.
"This is a close-knit community and we need to protect it from this development," he said
"The school roll has been reducing over the years and it is important we don’t contribute to that trend by introducing another eyesore."
SSE has previously stated it has not completed a list of preferred sites of the facility and that it would not construct a building which would endanger public health.
The switching station would be the first of its kind in the UK, collecting electricity from the Pentland Firth and Orkney and Shetland waters.
The community council rejected a request from SSE to attend the public meeting but the newly formed action group is to invite the company to discuss the project in the next few months.
