Councillors have agreed to establish The Shetland Development Charter, setting out the key expectations from investors undertaking developments in Shetland -including energy transition
The charter says Shetland will work with partners who recognise the value of doing things fairly and collaboratively. Its main aims are:
- To ensure Shetland’s move to renewable energy is fair for everyone
- To ensure the local community is heard and local needs are considered
- There is joined-up thinking when it comes to developments - to avoid duplication of infrastructure and to protect our environment
- Projects deliver clean, secure and affordable energy
- Projects deliver a legacy for Shetland residents and local industry
It will be led by EmPowering Shetland which includes Shetland Islands Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, UHI Shetland, Lerwick Port Authority, the Shetland Net Zero Energy Forum, and the Norn Engineering Alliance. It builds on partnership working including the Shetland Energy Development Principles and A Fair Share for Shetland frameworks, as well as work to establish local community benefit policy. The nine priority areas in the charter are:
- A Just Transition
- Ownership
- Environmental Protection
- Our Economy
- A Fair Share for Shetland
- Community Benefit
- Local Supply Chain Integration and Community Wealth Building
- Housing
- Fiscal and Regulatory Changes
The charter also includes commitments from Shetland as a community to ensure Shetland benefits proportionally from hosting developments.
Dennis Leask, Chair of the Council’s Development Committee, says: “The Shetland Development Charter is important because we want to ensure that people in Shetland get a fair share from developments.
“This is a document that is all about collaboration and we will be working with developers to sign up to it. It will not replace existing planning and consenting processes. By working with developers and the community, opportunities and challenges are discussed at an early stage.
“Those signing up to the charter will also commit to creating an accompanying delivery plan to show how they will uphold the principles of the charter.”
The Shetland Development Charter can be read here