A glimmer of sanity
Speaking about the proposed Barra SAC, our MP said to Hebrides News:
Just one question -- does the MPs opposition to designation extend to Lewis and Harris, or is it just the Barra area?
I don't want us to say No to every designation; just to exercise great caution before accepting one, and to fully understand the benefits and limitations that designations can create.
“I met with a local representative group at the weekend, who just feel that they are being strangled by conservation and designation orders.
“They simply do not feel that any consultation should happen or SAC designation made which would take in most of the Sound of Barra and complete encircle the Island of Eriskay. People are frankly sick tired of the perennial conservation industry that comes their way.”He added: “The excuse again seems to be that this is European demand, therefore I want to cut out the middle men and I am currently trying to find the person or group responsible in Brussels for this latest conservation bureaucracy to come to the affected islands and state why and explain just what threats they wield if the designation does not take place."“However, in the first place the Scottish Government must make every effort to put the designation far into the long grass. The previous Labour administration was far too trigger happy about designations.”
(My emphasis) Opposition to designations doesn't mean opposition to conservation, indeed the two have worked hand-in-hand in the proposed SAC.
Just one question -- does the MPs opposition to designation extend to Lewis and Harris, or is it just the Barra area?
I don't want us to say No to every designation; just to exercise great caution before accepting one, and to fully understand the benefits and limitations that designations can create.
5 comments:
Moot point, unfortunately.
Brussels is the ultimate arbiter of all issues--conservation, recycling, working times, etc, etc.
The provincial governments (aka Westminster and the Edinburgh crowd) simply enforce Brussels regulations, against which there is no recourse or appeal.
In other words, the Islands, and their local government, are as powerless as the rest of the nation, and will remain so until the UK withdraws from the EU.
Simple as that.
I find this odd. A friend lives in Harris and says that they are being egged on to have a new designation put on them in the form of a National Park. Harris would effectively become an autonomous state being freed from Comhairlie planning powers etc.
Now we see Barra is battling against designations.
How can the two communities be holding so opposite views?
The north end of Barra already has two on shore designations. Development in and around these areas has to go through SHN's ever decreasing hoops for often unnessesary reasons. From our experience designations have limitations on social and economic development. The Harris example may be an oppertunity open to the community but until they have had time to consider all options they are requesting the minister suspends the consultation.
Why would anyone want more legislation and paperwork?
Herachs must have lost the plot
It is important to note that once a consultation is underway only scientific evidence can be used and any opposition on social and economic grounds have no standing. As the proposer SNH is government funded and therefor vast amounts of resources, legal advice, research, survey, ect it is therefor difficult for any opposer whether they be group, council, business or induvidual, to argue against such designations. Seems SNH have us where they would like, OPPRESSED.
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