Barra & Vatersay SAC

As the dispute over the suitability and possible operation of a marine SAC in the waters around Barra and Vatersay rumbles on, a curious letter emanates from the higher reaches of the Scottish Parliament.

In response to a letter from Eoligarry Village Association, Peter Peacock MSP writes:

"While I support efforts to encourage population retention and growth I was surprised to hear that there had been so much restriction on activity locally as a result of the last designations. I have written to the Minister of Environment seeking his comments on this issue and will let you know when I receive his response".

This is astonishing that a Minister in the last Scottish Executive was unaware of the impact of a policy; the local opposition to the policy; and that there seems to have been no study of the (beneficial/detrimental) effects of all these designations.

With the islands almost entirely covered with various designations, it is perhaps better to see an MSP waking up to the impact it can have, even if it is very late in the game.

Hopefully, the mania for designations will be kept in check until such time as the impact of being designated can be properly assessed; as it is virtually impossible to become 'undesignated'.

The impact of 'designation blight' on the islands is substantial, and very soon we will be completely under the thumb of unelected quangos --- the new landlordism.