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Shetland Space Centre


George.
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The odd "boom" from a launching satellite IMHO will cause less harm to the bird population than the natural predators that are now protected and attack the birds coming in with feed for the chicks, and raid nests.

Otters and birds of prey were shot by crofters years ago to protect lambs and provide an income etc, now that is illegal consequentially the population of those species are growing threating the survival of the likes of Terricks, and Puffins ,but I guess that is nature.

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If this is some plot by the Scottish Government to deny Unst a space centre why does Historic England also designate former WW2 radar stations as monuments of national importance? Link...https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1020544

Could it possibly be true that the only people politicising the decision are those who are trying to blame the Scottish Government for it?

Edited by Capeesh
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Another obvious flaw for the conspiracy theorists who believe this is some heinous Holyrood plot is the Skaw Radar Station was designated a monument of national importance back in 2012, way before there was any mention of firing rockets into space from it.

Link...http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM13097

Edited by Capeesh
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But why have HES allowed it to get this far?.

 

Surely, if they were genuinely interested and saw a problem then they should have voiced it from the start before all the time and effort had gone into the project.

 

It does smack of a quango being pushed from behind the scenes to object in an effort to deny Shetland the Space Centre.  

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They only applied for consent on the 2nd February this year and it states in the HES portal decisions take 8 weeks. Link...http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/decision/900032088

Look at this motion in the Scottish Parliament welcoming the decision to locate a Space Centre on Unst, more than half the cross party support came from representatives of the Scottish government.

https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/votes-and-motions/votes-and-motions-search/S5M-23102

Same in Westminster.

https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/57618/creation-of-shetland-space-centre

It seems to me the problem isn’t some far-fetched conspiracy, more an issue of bad planning from Shetland Space Centre. 

Edited by Capeesh
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The guy has worked wonders securing the investment and I, like most Shetlanders, support any inward investment especially in Unst where they've had to contend with the loss of the RAF base. When I first heard about planning being refused for what I thought was a few ruined buildings my first reaction was WTF??? Probably  like most Shetlanders.

but...

The developers knew the site was a scheduled monument, it was given this status years before Shetland Space Centre was even thought about. Former WW2 radar stations the length of Britain have been given the same designation. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know there was going to be significant obstacles developing on it. Whether you agree or not with the designation, once it's been given HES is bound by law to try and protect them.

I read various politicians quoted as being stunned, surprised, disappointed etc and slamming HES for the decision but they're just following rules that've been set out in law. The surprising and disappointing thing for me was why didn't the developers consult with HES earlier? They seem to have done the environmental due diligence well but neglected this side of it until it was so far along they've had to cobble together something that evidently hasn't satisfied HES.

Maybe they'll find a compromise, maybe Scottish Ministers will overturn the decision on appeal, maybe they'll stick it a mile down the Unst coastline, who knows?? I do hope it goes ahead though.

Edited by Capeesh
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I can see this sorry saga continuing for many years, especially now when official departments are all strapped for cash mainly or partly due to the effect of this pandemic on the economy.

There is nothing left at Skaw worth seeing and I doubt if anyone has the finances to preserve it and bring it up to a standard that would encourage many of us to go and visit it.

Best that the space station project continues as it is of more benefit to the Unst folk than the old dilapidated war time ruins, although I personally still wonder why we require so many satellites 

An example of historical protected buildings is https://www.buildingsatrisk.org.uk/details/899918, and this has gone on for years, mainly due to all the red tape in trying to "do it up"

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12 hours ago, Nigel Bridgman-Elliot said:

spacer.png
What about other locations on the island for the Spaceport ?

These two places look fairly empty at first glance..

And why has it become so complicated to insert a picture here !
 

Tut tut ,hush hush this would probably mean new roads and more environmental destruction, just think of the opposition this would create.

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