Peter Urpeth

Planning consent, subject to conditions, has been granted for a battery energy storage facility at Goat Island in Stornoway.

​Two common grazing committees on Lewis are set to receive over £200,000 per annum each as a result of the Stornoway Wind Farm development, while another village will benefit to the tune of over £100,000 on an annual basis.

Councillors have renewed calls for a Single Island Authority in the Western Isles, as they approved a stark medium-term financial plan, which projects a cumulative budget deficit of £26.5m by 2030.

​​The new owner of a prominent historic building in Stornoway, located in the town’s conservation area, has submitted plans to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar for a comprehensive renovation.

​Comhairle nan Eilean Siar planners have recommended approval, subject to conditions, for a fish farm off the east coast of Lewis, amidst warnings from the local fishing industry that it would result in the loss of “prolific” commercial fishing grounds.

​Plans for two new industrial buildings at the Arnish yard have moved forward with Highlands and Islands Enterprise asking Comhairle nan Eilean Siar to rule on whether the development requires a formal Environmental Impact Assessment as part of the planning application process.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has granted planning permission, subject to conditions, for 46 affordable homes in Tarbert, described as “crucial for the future of Harris.”

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​A report by the Care Inspectorate has said that there is a shortage of available foster placements for children and young people in the Western Isles, and that the recruitment and retention of caregivers “must be an area of priority” for Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s fostering service.

Comhairle nan Eilean officials have thrown a major spanner in the Spiorad na Mara works by recommending to councillors that they should object to plans for the offshore windfarm.