Oban Times Letters to the Editor - 31.10.24
SSEN housing strategy has strings attached
Once again SSEN make well orchestrated headlines with their offer of giving homes built for their workers to local authorities to help ease the housing crisis. They have obviously spent time identifying a problem and working out how best to use it to their advantage.
You have to ask yourself, with their promises of using local labour why they need to build accommodation in the first place because local workers would live locally otherwise they wouldn’t be local.
The message from them would appear to be: Let us help you with your housing shortage but only if our planning applications get passed.
Housing is the responsibility of the local authority, those elected to serve us and to whom we pay substantial taxes. If there is not enough money in the coffers to house people then we have to ask why. It is not the job of a multinational to provide homes as long as they get planning approval for their highly contentious application, which is causing so much anguish and mental distress all over the north of Scotland.
SSEN placed itself as Principle Partner at the Housing Challenge Summit in Aviemore last Tuesday (October 22), chaired by Highland Council Convener Bill Lobban. Why were they even there? They are a global investment company hellbent on destroying our natural environment and reducing the value of hard working rural folk’s homes for profit.
Big Energy is actually contributing to a housing crisis because of their devastating industrialisation in rural areas. Residents are unable to move because they can’t realise the true value of their homes. That denies families the larger properties they need.
Big Energy is destroying the natural social progression in our rural communities. SSEN/SSE are flooding our media with adverts and sponsorship. They are in our schools, involved in the renewables/tourism oxymoron, had the Highland Council Leader open their Highland ‘hub’ and appear alongside them in a promotional video. They are impossible to escape but we see them for what they are.
Lyndsey Ward, spokeswoman for Communities B4 Power Companies, Beauly.
A few Mòd-est words
Eva, of the Oban Gaelic Choir, told me that the grand finale on October 19 was accompanied by a rainbow and a passing eagle overhead! Such beneficial signs should not go unrecorded – I have therefore written a few MÒd-est words.
MÒD IN OBAN
There’s a Gaelic glow in Oban
Now the MÒd has passed this way –
With an eagle and a rainbow,
The Big Show shared its final day.
An t-Oban opened up its arms,
Its charms all on display;
The local choir were all on fire
In vocal, sweet array –
Being lauded by the judges
For imaginative touches
(Being the winners, by the way!)
And all the host made for a most
Last boost and great Hooray! -
Left Oban in a hopeful mood
When the MÒd strode by that day!
The MÒd itself is in rude health,
And all bodes well from here -
Here’s to favourable comparisons
In An Gearasdan, next year!
Sebastian Tombs, Isle of Lismore.
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