Highland Council leaders call for a share of profits from renewable energy projects so they can be invested in region's roads
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Councillors are calling for some of the profits from renewable energy developments in the Highlands to be set aside to help improve the region's roads.
At today’s full meeting of the local authority, members agreed a motion seeking a fairer share of income from the harnessing of natural resources to establish a Highland Renewable Fund.
A comparison was made with the experience of Shetland benefitting from oil money.
The Highland Council motion was drawn up by the leader, Councillor Margaret Davidson, and Councillor Jimmy Gray, the chairman of corporate resources.
Councillor Davidson warned that at a time when private energy companies were making huge profits from the abundance of natural resources of wind and water in the Highlands the region’s roads were suffering.
“The basic road infrastructure that the communities of the Highlands rely upon is failing due to lack of investment over a number of years," she said. “And roads are just one example where the people and the overall environment of the Highlands would benefit from a reasonable share of the income being reinvested in the wider community.”
She argued that there were other areas where the quality of life of Highland people would be enhanced from the reinvestment of a share of profits made from the development of the region's natural resources.
“Asking for a share to invest back in the community for the overall benefit of the people of the Highlands is reasonable beyond challenge, and the norm in many other countries across Europe," Councillor Davidson added.
Councillor Gray described how Shetland Islands Council has received £1.7 billion from the oil industry and is set to benefit from significant annual receipts from wind farm development.
He said: “This initiative would be a major driver in improving infrastructure and communications the length and breadth of the largest local authority in the UK and a third of the landmass of Scotland.”
