Legal fight against windfarm goes to Supreme Court
The campaign group opposed to the Viking Energy windfarm last night agreed to continue its legal battle against the project.
Members of Sustainable Shetland met in the Bixter Hall when the decision was taken to lodge an appeal with the Supreme Court in London.
That comes after the recent decision of the Inner House of the Court of Session in Edinburgh, which overturned the ruling of Lady Clark. She had found in favour of Sustainable Shetland in its judicial review of the decision, taken by Scottish ministers, to grant consent to the proposed windfarm in the Central Mainland.
In response to the news that the legal challenge would continue Viking Energy Partnership issued a statement saying it was confident the judges’ decision would be upheld.
“The opinion of the three senior judges was very clear and found that the wind farm consent application was competent, and that Scottish Ministers acted lawfully in consenting the project.”
Viking Energy Head of Development Aaron Priest said: “We note that Sustainable Shetland will now attempt to seek an appeal to the Supreme Court, in spite of the opinion of the three senior judges being so clearly in favour of the Scottish Government’s decision to grant consent to Viking wind farm.
“We are very confident that the opinion of the three senior judges will be upheld.”
For more on this story, see tomorrow’s Shetland Times.
Harry Dent
“We are very confident that the opinion of the three senior judges will be upheld.”
I’m sure you are, because you know fine well the judiciary usually does side with big business.
Well done Sustainable Shetland for keeping up the fight despite the forces of government and business being ranged against you.
mary hurry
well done my fellow Vikings – Viking Energy is not taking into account the appeal is going to the English Court who may well take a different view on the subject.
Michael Bilton
If you value something so precious as Shetland’s heritage and saving its unique environment for all future generations, then you have to take the fight ALL the way. SuS must exhaust every single avenue available – including the Supreme Court and even the European Court if necessary. Shetland has been sold a dream that will become a nightmare and, one which will cost it dear.
Michael Allen
Shetlanders have a chance to stand up to the ministers from Scotland who are not allowing Shetland sufficient say in its own affairs. Vote NO to Scotlands independence. Shetland will have far more opportunities to protect its heritage and prosper within the UK than tied to Scotland. The independence vote does not benefit Shetland, it is for the benefit of the Ministers in The Scottish Parliament. I recently visited my Uncle’s at their croft which is sited on the edge of the proposed wind farm and he was very upset by the prospect. Uncle Jimmy Johnson was recently featured in the Shetland Times regarding his experience in the WW2. It is such a beautiful area I find it appalling that the Ministers from Scotland are riding roughshod over the views of Shetlanders on their own island.
Charles L. Gallagher
Michael, like you I’m none too happy about how this proposed wind farm will come about. However may I ever so gently remind him that Scottish Government Ministers were left little choice given that our “ELECTED MEMBERS” in the SIC “APPROVED” the application. So Michael do not blame Edinburgh, instead BLAME those with vested interests in Hillhead for this situation.