Wick bollards plan could become ‘white elephant’
YOUR VIEWS: Readers of the John O’Groat Journal and Caithness Courier have their say on the latest stories
A load of bollards to access town?
When I first saw the glossy artist’s projections of what Wick would look like, with all the improvements, I was mightily impressed. The greenery, the street furniture, the inscribed standing stones. There was also talk of a traffic calming plan.
This, it seems, will now consist of rising bollards that will be monitored by a control room in Inverness between the hours of Monday to Thursday and Saturday 6am to 10pm plus Friday and Sunday, 7.30am to 10pm.
I had thought originally that local residents and businesses would have a fob system to use to gain egress/access? The idea instead of a control room 100-plus miles away trying to monitor and operate this facility (especially on dark, rainy, winter nights) sounds like (sorry, pun alert) a key problem.
Plus, given the amount of legitimate traffic (as opposed to those using it as a rat run) is it feasible? What about the dozens of cars and trucks per hour making deliveries inwards and outward such as food wagons, the take away and chemist courier vehicle services and taxis dropping off and picking up folk from the hostelries, cafes and council offices?
Then there’s the biggest problem. From ten at night the bollards will drop.
This is just the time that girl and boy racers like to speed dangerously through on the two bridges circuit. Will there be an increased police presence (as if they aren’t busy enough) to deter this?
Sadly, I foresee this becoming a white elephant project that will end mothballed.
Have tried to get some response from Highland Council but keep getting (sorry again) fobbed off. Could we get a view from our esteemed leaders?
Name and Address Supplied
In the dark about scale of renewables
The Scottish Government ministers responsible for renewable energy have been exposed for their failure to maintain a database on the number and type of renewable energy projects across Scotland. Shockingly, they do not even consider it their responsibility to do so. This negligence raises serious concerns about the competence of those overseeing Scotland’s transition to renewable energy.
Despite the significant impact that renewable energy projects have on communities, the environment and the economy, there is no centralised, accessible source of information available to the public. The lack of transparency and easily accessible data means that concerned citizens, local authorities and other stakeholders are left in the dark about the scale and nature of these developments.
Worryingly, Scotland’s renewable energy planning system appears to be spiralling out of control. There is no effective financial oversight, no safeguards against potential abuse, and no clear coordination between national and local governments regarding the necessity and sustainability of renewable energy projects.
Without proper management, the development of renewables is being driven not by the urgent need to combat climate change or provide affordable and reliable energy but by the financial interests of energy companies.
This chaotic approach has resulted in an alarming lack of accountability at both local and national levels. The absence of clear political responsibility means that key decisions regarding renewable energy projects are being made without due diligence, public scrutiny or consideration for long-term energy security and affordability.
A recent request for Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosures highlights the extent of this failure. When asked to provide comprehensive data on planning applications – both granted and pending – across various renewable energy projects, including offshore and onshore wind farms, underground and undersea transmission lines, battery storage farms, hydro storage projects, and associated infrastructure within the Highlands and Islands region, the government could not provide a full or even partial response. This raises serious questions: Why is this information not available? Who is responsible for ensuring proper oversight?
Scotland’s renewable energy sector should be managed with transparency, accountability and a commitment to both environmental goals and public needs. If the Scottish Government cannot provide clear, comprehensive data on the sector’s development, then who can?
We challenge government ministers to respond to this urgent issue – if they cannot, the public deserves to know why.
Dunbeath and Berriedale Community Say NO to PYLONS Action Group
Plan for weak growth?
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), publishing its economic and fiscal outlook to coincide with the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, noted a continuing weak growth in trade volumes over the coming years. Figures indicate that exports fell 2.2 per cent in 2024, and imports rose by 1.6 per cent.
It notes that this weak growth in imports and exports over the medium term “partly reflects the continuing impact of Brexit”. This is expected to reduce the overall trade intensity of the UK economy by 15 per cent in the long term.
With a Labour government scratching around for levers that will boost economic growth, clearly it may want to re-examine its “red lines” of the UK not rejoining the EU single market or even the customs union.
Alex Orr
Marchmont Road
Edinburgh
