Comhairle renewable energy conference
This conference is being held on Monday 17 March with a headline speech due by Jim Mather to whet our appetite.
It appears in today's Scotsman briefing board, but is strangely absent from the Comhairle website, or any other form of publicity that I can find.
I am sure that it is not the Comhairle's intention to try to drum up apathy on this important matter, and I am sure that full details will be released in plenty of time for everyone to book this into their diaries for the week after next. Hm!
However, the list of speakers is wide ranging, and I am pleased to note that it includes opponents as well as supporters of the proposals, as the future for renewable energy will be enhanced by identifying agreed sites early, rather than after the planning application is submitted.
A comment on another topic has suggested that Jim Mather will use the conference as an opportunity to announce the refusal of the LWP application. My gut feeling is that the longer a decision takes the more likely (qualified) approval will be, but at present I have no information about the likely content of the keynote speech, but as soon as something leaks.....
It appears in today's Scotsman briefing board, but is strangely absent from the Comhairle website, or any other form of publicity that I can find.
I am sure that it is not the Comhairle's intention to try to drum up apathy on this important matter, and I am sure that full details will be released in plenty of time for everyone to book this into their diaries for the week after next. Hm!
However, the list of speakers is wide ranging, and I am pleased to note that it includes opponents as well as supporters of the proposals, as the future for renewable energy will be enhanced by identifying agreed sites early, rather than after the planning application is submitted.
A comment on another topic has suggested that Jim Mather will use the conference as an opportunity to announce the refusal of the LWP application. My gut feeling is that the longer a decision takes the more likely (qualified) approval will be, but at present I have no information about the likely content of the keynote speech, but as soon as something leaks.....
22 comments:
Its leaked - you are just going to have to trust me on this wee man - and its a no. However he will be positive about a recent paper by the Crown Estate saying marine renewables is the way forward. I also believe both our MP and MSP will be making speeches, as will RSPB, SNH and MWT. That should balance with SSE, AMEC and Eisken.
The bigger secret is who is on the invite list? Spoke to a councillor yesterday and he wasn't aware of the event at all, but felt the newly bought out estates would be attending.
So North Harris, Galson and South Uist - but that won't fill the chamber.
Is it to be behind closed doors or can anyone turn up? I'd come into town for that bun fight.
How typical of the Crown Estate to say that, so that they can collect some extra charges for marine power. We certainly don't want to go that way in the islands and no community should blight our beautiful beaches and coastlines with big chuncks of metal. Save our beaches and coastline!
11:47 AM
Are you the ultimate NIMBY?
For those of us not opposed to economic development, what is the best outcome we can expect from this conference? No more hot air, we want jobs, now!
Angus said: "as the future for renewable energy will be enhanced by identifying agreed sites early, rather than after the planning application is submitted"
That would be a strategy then- something that at the moment you would call the local plan.
However recent planning applications have been against the local and structure plans.
So the Comhairle do have a strategy but ignore it. It then becomes hard to take staff and councillors seriously. A sad state of affairs.
1:46pm
Just got home and opened my Gazette. There is 18 jobs there - take your pick.
Companies cant fill those as it is.
18 jobs, that's really going to light a fire under the economy. What ambition!
4 chefs/cooks
1 Gaelic secretary
2 Secretaries
Electricians/plumbers
2 Process Operators (?)
CAD technician
Bar person (Lewis Bar)
Catalogue delivery (!)
Council
Solicitor
Nursery manageress (maternity cover)
School security technician (a janitor)
Makes 17.
How many are adding value to the community?
Feel the quality not the width.
a jobs a job is it not.
18 ADVERTISED plus lots of others in the job centre
I note that Arnish is heading for that wall again. Is that the kind of jobs you want? Hand outs to Jimmy "five bellies" Ferguson to squander (or eat).
A treat is in store having now seen an agenda.
3 SNP politicians are talking (when did that last happen on the islands?), MWT are coming along which should be a laugh and the RSPB are likely to play another patronising film in their attempt at world domination.
Co-op will do a rare trade in rotten fruit that day.
6.49pm
Do you finger and toe counting again - muppet. Surely you are Head of economic development or work for HIE with arithmatic skills like that!
So IYO what job is "adding value to the community"? Bashing bits of steel at Arnish while eating Borsch?
The cost of placing those adverts in the Gazette would alone contribute greatly to local GDP.
So IYO what job is "adding value to the community"? Bashing bits of steel at Arnish while eating Borsch?
I propose that we put people who write comments like this at the helm of the move to the Western Isles campaign. So welcoming. It would make anyone want to live here wouldn't it?
The question isn't how many jobs are being advertised, it is what happened to the previous post-holders? Are these new jobs or back fills? Did the previous post-holders escape from the Islands, decide to start a family (as one obviously has) or moved to another position elsewhere?
A sign of growth and prosperity will be in new jobs being created and if that means bashing bits of metal at Arnish then sobeit. I'm sure that there are plenty of people who would like to earn a decent wage there and have the benefit of being at home every day.
Do you finger and toe counting again - muppet. Surely you are Head of economic development or work for HIE with arithmatic skills like that!
Tell you what, I'll go back to my maths classes again if you promise to learn some grammar and spelling. Pot and Kettle - "muppet"
Actually I just thought I'd make you feel at home by playing the poorly educated crofter
Re Borsch - not PC perhaps, but are people REALLY aware of how many East Europeans work here now, from the Harris Hotel to fish farms, fish factories and Arnish. Even the library now has a Polish section and Somerfields stocks produce to cater for them.
Nowt against them - but surely if we were THAT desperate for jobs your precious locals would be filling them.
Get out of that!
"How many are adding value to the community?"
How disrespectful can you get! From your high and mighty position can you tell us how these workers are not adding value to the community?
High and mighty - or just down right arrogant more like it
Every job is valuble in a community - and service jobs could probably be argued to be the most important.
Apparently, Anon 6:49 never goes out for a meal or a drink, never has anything to do with anyone who has the nerve to speak Gaelic, never receives typed letters or phones any company, never uses builders, never has his electrics checked or his water pipes/oil tank maintained, doesn't give a toss about what he (or anyone else) puts in their stomach, never has any need of legal services and doesn't have children, or at least children that need to go to school.
Otherwise he might have to admit that the jobs that are so far beneath him do actually contribute a fair bit of "value" to the community, wouldn't he?
3 SNP politicians are talking (when did that last happen on the islands?)
2005 in An Lanntair.
Alyn "Out and proud" Smith MEP
Jim "Economics for Dummies" Mather MSP
Cllr Angus "Windfarms" Nicolson
All supporting Angus "Shagger" MacNeil for MP.
Memory is such a fickle thing when you are trying to put a favourable spin on things.
Heb news is reporting that MWT have lost their bottle
2.55 come, come, now, surely he (6.49) doesn't allow them to go to school! It is not quite the same thing!
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