Praise for strength of communities - Wick streets project is a step in right direction

YOUR VIEWS: Readers have their say on the latest issues affecting Caithness and the far north

Developments must be a true partnership with communities

On behalf of the Dunbeath and Berriedale Community Say NO to PYLONS Action Group in Caithness and the Pylon the Pressure to Stop SSEN group in the contiguous area of Helmsdale in Sutherland, we wish to express our sincere gratitude to all those who contributed to the success of the Community Council Convention held on Saturday, June 14, in Beauly.

This important event brought together a diverse and committed group of voices, and its impact has been deeply felt across the Highlands.

We extend particular thanks to the chair of Halkirk Community Council for their thoughtful and forthright remarks, which so accurately captured the sentiment of many Caithness residents.

We also acknowledge those community councils in Caithness and Sutherland that have not yet declared their position regarding ongoing energy infrastructure proposals. We trust that the solidarity and clarity demonstrated at this convention will assist them in reaching a decision that prioritises the well-being and wishes of their communities.

The convention delivered a unified message: there must be an immediate pause on all major energy infrastructure applications until comprehensive impact and cumulative assessments are conducted. These evaluations must give due consideration to the long-term impact on our natural environment, biodiversity, mental health, as well as our changing landscape.

Caithness has already shouldered a disproportionate burden in accommodating renewable energy developments. From large-scale wind farms to substations, overhead lines and now battery installations, the pace and scale of expansion are unprecedented. While we support the transition to renewable energy, the people must have a say in decisions that will impact their life.

In east Sutherland the numerous added developments significantly threaten irreplaceable local heritage sites, like the village of Caen and priceless landscapes such as Glen Loth and Loch Brora.

We are increasingly troubled by practices such as substantial amendments to existing applications that evade renewed scrutiny, and the fragmentation of large-scale proposals into smaller, seemingly unrelated parts – an approach that obscures the true extent of cumulative impacts.

Communities are expected to respond repeatedly to evolving plans, often without adequate information or genuine consultation. This is neither fair nor sustainable.

The repercussions are visible, and growing infrastructure strains our roads, displaces wildlife, diminishes our tourism appeal, and erodes the quality of life in rural communities. These projects are not simply industrial – they are transformational, and the toll they take on mental health and social cohesion must not be ignored.

We therefore support the motion for a reformed approach to energy planning – one that is transparent, accountable, and rooted in respect for the voice of the people and communities of the Highlands. There must be a shift toward proposals that reflect a true partnership with communities.

The significant attendance at the Beauly convention – 53 community councils, Members of Parliament, local councillors, grassroots organisations, and concerned citizens – demonstrates the breadth and depth of public concern. This is not a fringe movement; it is a growing and determined call for fairness and foresight.

We offer our heartfelt thanks to those who organised and participated in the convention. By standing together, we reaffirm our shared commitment to protecting the unique landscapes, livelihoods, and identities of the Highlands.

The Dunbeath and Berriedale Community Say NO to PYLONS Action Group

Pylon the Pressure to Stop SSEN, Helmsdale

Wick streets are looking brighter

On Saturday, June 21, I ventured onto what some call the dark side of the county, and the Wick community market. The Wick Street Design stall was held by key organisers of both, the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council.

Now awaiting a seven-figure sum of funding, they are justifiably proud of their part in a process which old salts amongst them sparked in the late 2010s along with Cllrs Raymond Bremner and the erstwhile Nicola More.

Delay was not a canard of a reduced Scottish Government precept to local authorities, as the Labour candidate for Holyrood, Eva Kestner has repeated on her webpage and in a letter to the John O’Groat Journal published on June 13. It was, in Cllr Bremner’s words reported in this newspaper, Highland Council “wasn’t interested” as it entered the Ind-Lab-Lib Administration 2017/22.

Maybe that allocation has not been enough but this comes from the UK government precept which is reserved. This is moot, though, because Sustrans [which funded the original part of the Street Design project] is Scottish Government funded, and not statutory: a fundamental paradox in the betrayal myth she and others seek to create.

Had it not come to Wick, it would have gone to another locality.

Employment in a list MSP’s office may have versed her in procedure but it does not necessary offer insight into ultra-local affairs.

The discontent Ms Kestner invokes led to real fears the application would be damaged which Cllr Bremner and others also expressed.

This included the nattering nabobs of negativity in print and social media which became pusillanimous pussyfooters when engagement was required. Such as genuinely pathetic claims that Donald Grant verse, now cut into Corten steel on Wick Lanes, were not local dialect or that “chiel” was an Aberdonian imposition.

Ochone, shanus min, as they say.

Alexander Glasgow

Tower Hill Road

Thurso

War chest

Sir Keir Starmer has shown great foresight in announcing that the UK will increase defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035.

If only Ramsey Macdonald had shown the same foresight in 1934 – the year Hitler became Führer – and announced that the UK would increase defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP by 1944, there is a possibility that World War II could have been avoided.

John Campbell

Waitside

Castletown

Time for a fresh look at Europe

In case you weren’t aware of it, this week marks the ninth anniversary of the Brexit referendum.

Despite pledges of “sunny uplands” from those who advocated for withdrawal from the EU, the negative warnings relating to Brexit have been largely borne out.

Withdrawal from the EU has blown a £40 billion tax hole in the public finances between 2019 and 2024, according to a forecasting audit that finds that the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR’s) projections on the impact of leaving the EU have broadly materialised.

This equates to an estimated 4 per cent loss in the UK’s long-run productivity, borne out by declining investment and trade volumes, in a period in which the government raised taxes by £100 billion. A large chunk of these rises would therefore not have been necessary if the UK had voted to remain in the EU.

At a time when the Labour government is desperate to revive productivity and repair the public finances, it is trying to do this with one hand firmly tied behind its back.

The OBR said the full impact of leaving the EU would be felt over the course of 15 years and estimates a staggering drop of 15 per cent in trade volumes, compared with if the UK had stayed in the bloc.

The massive act of self-harm that is Brexit has severely damaged the UK economy, of that there is little doubt, and is now fully recognised by the public. It is now for the politicians to acknowledge the greatest economic folly of a generation and seek re-admission into the EU.

Alex Orr

Marchmont Road

Edinburgh

• Letters of up to 300 words where possible should be emailed to editor@nosn.co.uk. Please include your address and a daytime telephone number. Letters will be included at the editor’s discretion and may be edited.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.