Call For Greater Benefits From Marine Developments
28th January 2010
In its response to the UK Government's review of the management of the Crown Estate in Scotland, The Highland Council has highlighted its eagerness to achieve substantial change which will result in greater local community benefit from marine developments, such as renewable energy projects.
The Council has warmly welcomed the inquiry by the Treasury Sub-Committee because it has campaigned for major reform of the Crown Estate in Scotland for many years, seeking a strategic shift in the ownership of marine resources away from the Crown Estate.
In its submission, the Council highlights its commitment to supporting the development of the renewable energy sector in the Highlands, including specific targets for installed capacity and for the development of marine renewable energy in the Pentland Firth.
Councillor Michael Foxley, Leader of the Council's Administration, said: "We recognise the important influence that the Crown Estate Commissioners have. We need to work closely with the Crown Estate Commissioners and all relevant Government and agency partners in the area.
"A vital concern of the Council is that it needs to secure major local financial community benefits (in addition to maximising employment, training and business benefits) from marine energy development around the Highlands and Islands. We are now working with our Highland and Islands local authority partners and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to agree a Memorandum of Understanding with the Crown Estate Commissioners.
"We also wish to see conditions conducive to sustained investment in the Highlands and Islands. We accept that unnecessary delays in allocating leases, combined with recent reports of three-fold increases in transmission charges, may increase uncertainty, particularly at the early stages of development. Clarity and stability are important prerequisites for potential developers of marine energy. The Council would welcome the Inquiry views on how both can be enhanced.
"A further concern of the Council is that marine renewable energy development takes place in a sustainable manner that is fully integrated with the marine spatial planning process at a national and local level. The importance of appropriate consultation as part of this process is obvious. We need the maximum local input. The Council wishes to see greater efforts to fully integrate the role of the Crown Estate Commissioners with the marine planning process at national and local level in Scotland. This implies a need for greater integration with Marine Scotland, which will shortly have responsibility for marine planning and licensing, with the passage of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010."
Related Businesses
Related Articles
At the Highland Council Economy and Infrastructure Committee. (Thursday 2 May 2024) Members had the opportunity to review the work the Council is doing to progress active travel and improve road safety before approving the next steps.
At the meeting of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee members had the opportunity to review the last two years of the Community Regeneration Funding Programme before agreeing changes to how the 2024/25 programme will be delivered. Committee Chair, Cllr Ken Gowans said: "Following a successful two years, it is a good time to review what has gone well and what can be done better so we can continue to build on success, and seamlessly move the focus onto how best to support the delivery of projects." "With 279 live projects and over £6million of committed funds still to be claimed, there is no doubt as to the value and impact of the programme's potential.
The Highland Council's In-House bus service pilot project was launched in January 2023. The success of its first year of operation in delivering savings and creating a valued and reliable service was highlighted at today’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee.
Members of Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee today (2 May 2024) approved the local authority's draft Ecology Strategy and Action Plan which will now move forward to an 12-week public consultation. The Ecology Strategy sets out an ambitious set of actions to tackle biodiversity loss and address the ecological emergency.
Economy and Infrastructure Committee members today (2 May 2024) agreed to direct £100K from the Council's share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to fund a new staff training programme at the Inverness Castle Experience. The funding will enable the project team to provide specialist visitor attraction training to young people identified through partners at Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).
The Housing and Property Committee met on Wednesday 1 May 2024 and noted the Housing Service performance report 2023/24 that met the agreed priorities and associated initiatives in the Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028. The report highlighted a number of achievements in 2023/24 in increasing housing supply.
Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council. Convener of the Council, Cllr Bill Lobban said: "I am delighted to say that Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council.
As intimated in Highland Council's budget plan, a new senior management structure is to be implemented following approval by Council 14th March. It reconfigures the senior management team into two layers, rather than three and brings Highland Council into line with other benchmarked authorities.
Today, Morrison Construction introduced some of their local apprentices who are working on the UK Governments' Levelling Up Funded refurbishment project at the Northern Meeting Park in Inverness. All these apprentices have been recruited from the Highland area.
The by-election to elect a councillor to represent Ward 19 - Inverness South on The Highland Council has been won by Duncan Cameron McDonald - Independent who was one of the eight candidates who contested the vacancy. Voters in the ward went to the poll yesterday (Thursday 11 April) and the by-election count was held this morning in The Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness.
