14 November, 2006

A PROPOSED fishmeal plant for the north of Shetland will come under the spotlight again next week when an inquiry reporter from the Scottish Executive visits the isles.

Graven resident group has appealed against a decision by the Shetland Islands Council's marine development sub committee to grant permission for a 1,000 metre waste water outfall pipe, running into Sullom Voe.

The Icelandic company Sildarvinnslan (SVN) wants to build a £10 million fish processing plant which should handle around 100,000 tonnes of fish annually.

The resident group is fiercely opposed to the development that could bring five permanent and 15 seasonal jobs to the area near the Sullom Voe oil terminal.

Local residents are worried about smell, pollution, noise, visual impact and the factory's impact on efforts to attract tourists to the area.

They also say that the outfall pipe would pollute the waters of the voe and lead to the demise of local sea trout stocks.

The SIC granted planning permission for the factory on 31 May, and a works licence for seawater intake and wastewater outfall pipes on 16 June this year.

Alec Miller, spokesman for the resident group, said a reporter from the executive's inquiry unit would be in the isles on 24 November.

"It is now more than 12 months since our small group was formed to object to this unwelcome development and the community are confident that the additional submissions that we have made to the Scottish Executive as part of the appeal process will result in a decision in our favour," he said.

A final decision on the issue is not expected before February next year.