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Councillors have endorsed a new Shetland Development Charter setting clear expectations for investors and developers in the isles, including those involved in the energy transition.
The charter commits Shetland to work with partners who recognise the value of fairness and collaboration. Its core aims are to ensure the shift to renewable energy is fair for everyone; to make sure community voices are heard and local needs considered; to coordinate development to avoid duplicated infrastructure and protect the environment; to deliver clean, secure and affordable energy; and to leave a lasting legacy for residents and local industry.
The initiative will be led by EmPowering Shetland, whose members include Shetland Islands Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, UHI Shetland, Lerwick Port Authority, the Shetland Net Zero Energy Forum, and the Norn Engineering Alliance. It builds on existing partnership work such as the Shetland Energy Development Principles and the A Fair Share for Shetland frameworks, as well as efforts to establish a local community benefit policy.
The charter identifies nine priority areas: A Just Transition; Ownership; Environmental Protection; Our Economy; A Fair Share for Shetland; Community Benefit; Local Supply Chain Integration and Community Wealth Building; Housing; and Fiscal and Regulatory Changes. It also sets out commitments from the Shetland community to ensure the isles benefit proportionally from hosting developments.
Dennis Leask, Chair of the Council's Development Committee, said: "The Shetland Development Charter is important because we want to ensure that people in Shetland get a fair share from developments.
"This is a document that is all about collaboration and we will be working with developers to sign up to it. It will not replace existing planning and consenting processes. By working with developers and the community, opportunities and challenges are discussed at an early stage.
"Those signing up to the charter will also commit to creating an accompanying delivery plan to show how they will uphold the principles of the charter."
