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7th April 2006

MOD Liaison Meeting

Members of the Durness community met with the representatives of the armed forces and MOD at the Liaison group meeting held in the village hall on Wednesday 29 March. Eight people from the forces with no RAF representation and 16 from the community attended. The introduction, welcome and thanks was by the chairman Commander Julian Ferguson of the Royal Navy. The minutes of the previous meeting were discussed and the matters arising dealt with as they arose.

There will be no RAF Tornado display at this year’s Highland Gathering as the RAF are unable to supply. The Gathering Committee will have to apply each year and the availability and military commitments will determine the outcome.

The lines of communication for supply of information to the community appear to be working. The web site, phone and paper notification are currently accurate.

The Trusted agent scheme was discussed and this has not been given specific terms of reference. The Agents have to use their own judgment on making calls. The monitoring scheme that was to be installed that would calculate vibration and noise has not been financed but may not give as accurate reflection of the intrusion as people on the ground. The noise and vibration can be radically different in disparate parts of the community and may not give accurate reflection of the situation. Currently calls are made to the trusted agents and they have to decide if the call is made to Range Control to cease the bombing activity on the range. Funding was to be made available by Strike command but this fell through and real time noise displays within the village never materialised. There are to be changes in the management of the range. To date Cape Wrath range has been operated by the Navy but this practice is to cease. As with all ranges in the UK the operation and management will be taken over by Defence Training Estates. LT Col Levaac Commandant ATE Scotland will be in charge and his responsibly will cover all activities at Cape Wrath. This will be beneficial as the people now involved are dedicated to this task and will be in a better position to coordinate and improve the operation and regulation procedures.

The 4 civilian personnel are now working on the range and although in early days this is a positive step in improving the workings and maintenance on the facility.

There was little and no positive outcome of the MOD meeting with Highland Council following the previous liaison group meeting in regard to the improvements to the jetty on Cape Side. There is no money for upgrading and or improvement. The operators raised concerns but this is a matter for the Highland Council. Both operators and the military pay for the use of the piers.

The community have developed no further plans for the land in which a registration of interest was made at Cape Wrath. The MOD had a survey for the possibilities of fresh water supplies carried out but the final report has yet to be published. The community Council will receive a copy when available.

It was agreed that this format of liaison meeting 2 times a year is satisfactory and should continue. LT Col Levaac Commandant ATE Scotland will be the alternating chair with the chairperson of the Durness Community Council currently Mary Mackay.

The incidents of low flying over the village were raised and many belived these were becoming more frequent. When the Cape Wrath range is active there is severe restriction on the flight paths and heights of aircraft and reports that concern the public should be made to the range control. When the range is inactive the area becomes under the same jurisdiction as all other parts of the UK and low flying complaints should be made by calling 02072186020. This number will be on the Durness web site.

The new vidette huts for Cape Wrath will be put in place as soon as a Chinook helicopter is available to transport the buildings from Tain.

The dates for the Neptune Warrior exercises will be 17 June – 1 July 2006 and 21 October to 4 November 2006. There is no large scale plan for either exercise. No amphibious assault training and no troops on the range but there may be artillery on Faraid Head. There are currently discussions at higher authority on the Neptune Warrior exercises and the possibility of the June exercise being removed with the two at the start and end of the year becoming more active. The community requested that they be involved at an early stage in any discussions that will effect this decision and ensure the timing are mutually acceptable. No further comments could be made at this time.

As previously mention LT Col Levaac Commandant ATE Scotland will be taking over the responsibility of the Range. Initially this will mean no change but it is expected that operations and coordination will become smoother. Currently operations are based in Faslane and this will change to Inverness. Commander Julian Ferguson was wished a long and happy retirement while Lt Cdr Stewart Bankier secretary to the group was wished all the best in his new life in Australia. The next meeting is to be held on the 4 October 2006.

Steps at Sango

High tides have made access to Sango beach by the approved stepped walkway impossible.  During the week the sea has washed away the lower part of the dune system where the steps were built. Undermine the supports the access has collapsed. Toward the end of last year the Highland Council rerouted the access after a similar event washed away the first site they were installed at.

Energy Scheme

Durness has the opportunity to pursue from the renewable energy study carried out on the Durness estate a scheme that would provide electricity to the national grid and create an income to the community.  A Feasibility study of renewable energy on the Durness Estate Prepared by Grangeston Economics was carried out in May 2004 and a review of all possibilities was reported on. This would be a small scale schem that would involve a maximum of 3 wind turbines and because of the infrastructure capacity would not lead to a larger scale development

To continue on such a scheme the community must determine with the help of the Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company several consultations and assessments. The research and development of such a project can take 2-3 years and would involve an in depth community consultation. The community Council have given their backing to the Development group investigating and examining the pros and cons.