YOUR VIEWS: SSEN’s pylon line consultation a tick box PR exercise; and one law for Inverness and another for Sutherland
Pylon line drop-in session was less than impressive
Letter to the editor from Tracey Smith, Golspie.
We attended the drop-in session held by SSEN Transmission in Rogart on March 6 to consult with the public on the Spittal to Loch Buidhe 400kV overhead power line project.
Members of the public were given two hours between 10am and 12pm to view the scheme and discuss it with SSEN representatives. Not good timing if you have to work.
As we entered the hall, we were greeted by wall upon wall of glossy pop-up banners and tables stacked high with glossy booklets, not to mention stacks of free goodies and promotional material you could take home as souvenirs. (We didn’t). I dread to think how much they all cost.
There were 15 members of staff from SSEN and the construction company, most of them chatting to each other or on their phones. According to one of the PR people, they keep staff numbers to a minimum so as not to overwhelm visitors. It seemed a little out of proportion to the three residents who were there.
After looking at the presentation, we asked to speak to the ecologist who dealt with ornithology, but were initially told, sorry, there was no one there who could do that, but we could email them.
However, there was an ecologist there and we were able to speak to him, but it did not get off to a great start when he asked if a peregrine falcon was a Schedule 1 protected bird!
We raised several concerns about construction work near to a nesting site and, as always, the word ‘mitigation’was thrown around and they said there would be an environmental officer on site. Then they said but if you see any disturbance on the site you are welcome to let us know!
The heritage expert stood next to us loudly chewing gum and smirking/laughing at the concerns we were raising.
I was so annoyed by his behaviour that I said: “ I am glad you think this is funny because the people who live here and whose lives are going to be destroyed don’t.” At this he sloped off.
Yet again we asked why the lines could not be buried in such a sensitive area.
In all previous consultations we were told that this was not possible because of the difficulty of carrying out repairs, the cost and also the pressure from Ofgem to use the cheapest method so as not to increase bills.
On this occasion we were told: “No, no, it has nothing to do with costs, we’ve listened to everyone's concerns and we’ve investigated other routes but they would cause even more environmental damage to the habitat.” So who is telling the truth?
The final straw came when everyone sprang into action at
11.55am, packing away posters, booklets, maps, etc. and racing off to load up cars. One member of staff was overheard saying loudly to another: “That’s over, only one more left to do.”
Just goes to prove it’s all just a tick box PR exercise.
First twins to be born at the General Pope Hospital?
Letter to the editor from Ann Jappy, Helmsdale.
On reading my Northern Times last week, I noticed an article about the General Pope hospital in Helmsdale which said it was thought that the Polson twins were the first twins to be born there.
I had twin sons, also unexpected, who were born on the 23rd of October 1963. As they weighed just over 4lbs, they had to be taken by ambulance to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, immediately after birth as the Pope hospital had no incubator and they had breathing difficulties. Because of this the Pope got incubators the next week.
Reward could resolve toilet vandalism
Letter to the editor from Mark Gilbert, Bettyhill.
Perhaps a sizable reward to identify and criminalise the perpetrators would resolve these issues (‘No final decision’ taken over reopening of South Bonar public toilets: Northern Times March 14).
They are either out of control, or just morons, or both.
Monetary implications and community payback, possibly cleaning and repairing these facilities, may be a deterrent to other possible offenders.
Also, if it’s under 18s committing this type of offence, then the parents should be held responsible too and suffer a financial penalty. As they say, money talks.
One law for Inverness, another for Sutherland
Letter to the editor from Councillor Jim McGillivray, East Sutherland and Edderton ward.
Readers of the Northern Times will be aware that the Highland Council administration managed to get its budget passed last Thursday based on a 7 per cent increase in council tax. Amongst a range of financial proposals for the forthcoming year, my eye caught sight of INV/4, “Invest in Community Transport”.
What is confirmed under this heading is that an additional portion of reserves (up to £6 million) will be identified to significantly expand bus company operations by continuing to invest in publicly owned bus services, building on what has happened so far with the Inverness in-house bus service and the recent acquisition of D&E Coaches, purchased to service Inverness travellers.
The details of the D&E purchase were circulated to councillors in confidential papers at the end of last year, so confidential I haven’t been able to confirm how much was actually paid, how this organisation is to be absorbed into the council structure, or what Section 19 and/or Section 22 schedules are in place.
It’s a long and difficult read and this information will be in there somewhere, but I haven’t tracked it down yet. Nobody seems keen to answer such questions; when I ask I am pointed back to the confidential report and told to read that.
I wish this venture every success, but I feel extreme frustration that Inverness councillors seem to think that establishing a publicly owned bus service is a new and original initiative. It is a flaw of our Inverness-centric local authority that there is little in the way of race memory.
It seems that there is absolutely no recall of the Sutherland Education Bus Service which operated a fleet of Volvo coaches and minibuses out of Drummuie, commencing in the early 70s to meet the travel needs of our Sutherland schools at modest and manageable cost.
Readers may ask what happened to that? It was shut down by education officers in an unholy rush in 2015 as part of a council cost-cutting exercise.
The council is thus, through INV/4, re-inventing the wheel without knowing there was a wheel already in existence which it had destroyed. One law for Inverness, one law for people in rural areas. It’s an old story.
