Issued by IBP Strategy & Research and Shetland Community Benefit Fund.
Following an extensive programme of consultation with Shetland’s communities, the Directors of Shetland Community Benefit Fund have adopted six priority areas for the £2.2m a year it is due to receive from the Viking Energy Wind Farm once it becomes operational next year.
The chosen priorities, which are not in any order of priority, are:
More younger people wanting to stay and / or come back to Shetland.
Better transport links within and between communities.
Better broadband and / or mobile phone connections.
Reduced cost of living in Shetland.
Improved housing supply and affordability.
Preservation and enhancement of Shetland's natural environment.
Eddy Graham, Director of IBP Strategy & Research, the independent consultants who undertook the consultation said “This has been an extensive consultation, involving 1,342 responses from individuals and 73 from Shetland businesses, in addition to an initial programme of community and stakeholder consultations from late-2022 and early-2023. The results highlighted a number of opportunities and challenges for Shetland, which are reflected in the SCBF directors’ choice of priorities”.
Lindsay Dougan, Community Investment Manager, SSE Renewables, added “We thank the people of Shetland for participating in the consultation. The results ensure the funding focuses on the priorities identified by local residents.”
SCBF chair Chris Bunyan expressed his delight that the consultation process had resulted in priorities that will be used to complement existing funding streams. “I am confident that the priorities we have adopted will ensure that the Viking Community Benefit Funding will be of significant benefit to Shetland in the future. The priorities will form the basis for development of a full business plan that will detail the outcomes we wish to achieve and resources to be allocated over the initial years of funding. We will continue to work with stakeholders as we develop this plan.”
Further information, including IBP’s report to the SCBF on the consultation results and the document that was adopted by the Directors can be found at: ibp.eu.com/vcfconsultation/documents
