Large scale temporary accommodation planned for Skye SSE workers

Sodexo is proposing two public PAC events to discuss the site, to be held on Tuesday May 21 and Thursday June 20, both running 3-7pm at Broadford Village Hall.

Recipients of the PoAN have 21 days to confirm satisfaction with those consultation proposals.

Skye is currently earmarked for a raft of renewable energy infrastructure projects, with nine proposed onshore wind farms and wind farm extensions - totalling 134 turbines - currently in planning or scoping stages, which would join the two windfarms already operating on the island. (link: skyewind.co.uk/)

Additionally, the Skye Reinforcement Plan is seeking to build 160 kilometres of new cabling between Ardmore, 30 kilometres north west of Portree, to a substation in Fort Augustus.

Whilst Ryden’s notice did not identify the project on which the SSE workers would be engaged, the proposal has already found resistance on the island, where the scale of development has become a contentious issue.

Andrew Robinson of local opposition group Skye Windfarm Information Group (SWIG) said SSE were ‘playing fast and loose with the planning laws’ by submitting individual projects rather than allowing planners to decide on the broader Skye development.

“Yet again SSE are salami slicing their planning applications,” he said.

“Legally you are not allowed to slice planning. What needs to happen is to look at everything at the same time.”

He added that applying for accommodation before knowing what developments were to be granted permission was ‘putting the cart before the horse’, and that using temporary accommodation undermined promises of
benefiting the local community.

“If they were to say ‘we are going to build 120 new houses’, that would be difficult to argue. They are promising jobs for the island, but they are obviously going to bring people in,” Mr Robinson said.

SWIG is currently petitioning for a public inquiry into the developments on Skye.

SSE Transmission, however, has said that upgrading Skye’s infrastructure is vital “to keep the lights on for homes and businesses” and “enable the connection of new renewable electricity generation along its route”.

The Scottish Government meanwhile has stated it wishes to generate 20 gigawatts of onshore wind by 2030.

Ryden has been approached for comment.