An island councillor is urging his fellow members and officers at Comhairle nan Eilean Siar to start seriously pursuing the case for an upgrade to the existing power link between the mainland and the Outer Hebrides via Skye in order to allow the future development of renewables in the isles.

He is also urging the Comhairle to prioritise community-owned projects for any capacity that will be freed up by an upgrade to that cable, due to the fact the capacity will be limited and also because community-owned projects return more than 10 times the financial benefit to the local community as do corporate projects.

Angus McCormack, a councillor for Steornabhagh A Deas and advocate of community-owned renewables through his role as honorary president of Point and Sandwick Trust, made his plea to the Comhairle following Lewis Wind Power's failure to secure a subsidy to develop their large Stornoway wind farm and the subsequent statement by Ofgem that the business case had not been met for the creation of a new interconnector cable across the North Minch, proposed to go from the Little Loch Broom area to Lochs in Lewis.

Both these developments were followed by the news last week that Sandwick North had won planning approval from the Comhairle's Planning Application Board for a 145m, 5MW turbine. Sandwick North is one the crofting townships fighting Lewis Wind Power in the courts for the right to develop renewables on what is common grazings land around Stornoway.

Mr McCormack, who is also a resident of Sandwick North, said he was "delighted" that report had gone through planning - and said the time had come for the Comhairle to find a new way forward.

He revealed a report is being prepared by Comhairle officers on a potential strategy about the development of renewables and that report is expected to come before the December series of meetings. 

However, Mr McCormack also expressed concern that "almost all of the briefing" around that, which he had seen so far, related to "bodies external to the Comhairle".

He said: "There is no reference to the Comhairle anywhere in the document. That, for me, summarises our strategy. We just rely on other people to determine what we do. I have never seen a strategy paper on renewables.

"I have over the years asked questions on the subject of renewables and what would we do if the interconnector project failed or was reduced. It is my view that community renewables is the best way forward and pursuing that course would give us control of the way forward. My ideas have always been dismissed."

Mr McCormack made it clear that he was not suggesting the existing cable, which links the mainland to Harris via Skye, be upgraded to carry as much as 600MW or 450MW, which could have been carried by an interconnector. It is believed an upgrade could free up just over 100MW.

He said: "I have never suggested this route for 600MW nor 450MW. I realise that SSEN would dismiss the Skye Route for such a load. I would like the Comhairle to pursue its own plan for a Skye Route for a much lesser load and I think that is entirely feasible."

Mr McCormack said he wanted such an upgrade and the Comhairle's future strategy to dovetail to make it possible for  "all community renewables to be connected to the grid" and he called for the Comhairle "to actively support all community projects to achieve planning permission and a grid connection". He also called on the Comhairle to support the work currently being undertaken by community groups, including the hydrogen ferry project and research into battery storage.

Mr McCormack pointed out: "All of this can be pursued in parallel with the large interconnector if needs be but it is a perfectly feasible project on its own."

He asked: "Is it possible that some of this thinking might be part of the renewables paper that is to come to us in December?

"It really is important that the Comhairle takes the initiative in renewables rather than always being dependent on dead end thinking from Ofgem, LWP, SSEN, BEIS, LCCC etc. I believe the Comhairle can make an excellent case for the Skye Route plus.

"I know that the Comhairle will still have to engage with all the above named agencies but it would be doing it on its own terms with a clear strategy based on supporting our island communities." 

Mr McCormack has described called the decision to award planning consent to Sandwick North

He said: "The future is up in the air for everybody but part of what we have to do is engage with government to ensure that they recognise the value of community renewables. For the government, it's a win-win situation because it allows communities to stabilise.

"This issue is just as significant as Land Reform in Scotland. Land Reform has meant that communities have regenerated and this is just as important."

Point and Sandwick Trust | www.pointandsandwick.co.uk